/  7 1_ 


EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 
DIARY  AND  NOTE  BOOKS 


Of  this  volume  one  hundred  and  fifty  copies 
were  printed  for  private  distribution  only 


THE  BEAUTY  AND  MYSTERY  OF  SHIPS  AND  THE  MAGIC  OF  THE  SEA" 


EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  LETTERS 
DIARY  AND  NOTE  BOOKS 

OF 

AMASA  STONE  MATHER 

JUNE  1907  TO  DECEMBER  1908 


VOLUME  I 


PRIVATELY  PRINTED  BY 

THE  ARTHUR  H.  CLARK  COMPANY 

CLEVELAND,  OHIO 

1910 


COPYRIGHT,     I9IO>   BY 

AM  AS  A  STONE  MATHER 


To  the  Memory  of 

MY  MOTHER 
these  volumes  are  dedicated 


2031G30 


CONTENTS  OP  VOLUME  I 

FOREWORD        .  .  .  .  .  .  .13 

PREFATORY  NOTE        .  .  .  .  .  .15 

EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS        .  .  .  .  .17 

EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK  .  .  .     333 

On  leaving  Home 

Steamer  Life 

The  Scarlet  Woman 

Japanese  Tea  Houses 

Japanese  Railway  Travel 

Japanese  Inns 

Ascent  of  Asama-yama 

The  Man  next  Door  at  Karuizawa 

Street  Peddlers  and  small  curio  Shops 

Tramp  and  coasting  Steamers 

Sinagar 

The  Ruins  of  Martand 

Ayuthia 
EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  (concluded  in  Volume  11}    .  .    371 


CONTENTS  OF  VOLUME  II 

EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  (continued  from  Volume  I)  .  .11 

Two  MEN'S  OUTFIT  FOR  THREE  MONTHS'  SHOOT  IN  AFRICA, 

AND  NOTES  .  .  .  .  .  .  .    351 

ACCOUNTS  AND  GAME  REGULATIONS  ....    358 

APPENDIX  A  -  Notes  on  Industries    ....    367 

Grain  Elevator 

Cloisonne  Manufacturing 

Battek  Work 

Rug  Making 

Marble  Carving  and  Inlaying 

Rubber  Planting 
APPENDIX  B  -  The  Baruboedoer,  written  by  Gilbert  Little 

Stark  .  .  .  .  .  .380 

APPENDIX  C  -  Letter  to  W.  Cameron  Forbes  .  .  .     391 

APPENDIX  D  -  Letter  from  W.  Cameron  Forbes       .  .    394 

BIBLIOGRAPHY  .......    407 

INDEX  .  .    415 


ILLUSTRATIONS  TO  VOLUME  I 

The  Beauty  and  Mystery  of  Ships  and  the  Magic  of  the 
Sea  ......  .Frontispiece 

Approach  to  a  Temple,  Nikko  .       27 

A  gay  street  Scene,  Ikao        .  -      31 

Peking -Gate  into  the  Tartar  City    .  .       39 

In  the  Gardens  of  the  Jade  Spring  Temple  .  .      43 

Conquered  by  the  Jungle,  "Water-kastel,  Djokjokarta  .       73 

' '  Love  me  little,  love  me  long  "  .79 

"Elephints  a-pilin'  Teak"    .  .      87 

On  the  Schwe  Dagon  Pagoda  .  87 

Detail  of  Carving  on  the  Queen's  Monastery,  Mandalay      .       91 
Shan   Tribesmen         ...  .95 

Our  Trail  in  the  Shan  Mountains      .  .  .  .99 

Some  of  those  who  danced  at  our  Reunion  Party  in  Mandalay     103 
Kanchanjanga  .  .  .  .  .  .119 

Daniel 's  Leopard  being  picked  up  after  a  plucky  Fight      .     125 
Hammond  giving  final  Instructions  before  a  Drive  .  .     125 

The  Bathing  Ghats  at  the  Holy  City  of  Benares        .  .     135 

The  Taj  Mahal  and  the  Jumna  River  by  Moonlight    .  .     143 

Wayside  Temple  in  the  Jungle  near  Fatehpur  Sikri  .     149 

The  Fort  at  Agra        ....  .155 

My  Residence  .  .  .  .  .  .  .167 

Over  the  Pass  and  into  Kashmir        ....     173 

The  Vale  of  Kashmir 177 

The  Country  of  Maxfield  Parish        .  .  .  .181 

"If  there  be  an  Elysium  on  earth,  it  is  this,  it  is  this"        .     185 
In  the  Gardens  of  the  Shalimar          .  .  .  .189 

The  Lidar  Valley        .  .  .  .  .  .193 

In  the  Streets  of  Serinagur  .  .  .  .  .197 

Floating  down  the  Jhelum    .....     201 

The  Pageant  of  the  Sun,  Jeypore        ....     205 

My  Bullock  Carts  crossing  the  Yala  River  .  .  .     225 


10  ILLUSTRATIONS  TO  VOLUME  I 

My  first  Water-buffalo  .  .  .  .  .225 

The  Pearl  Island        .  .  .  .  .  .253 

Fishermen's  Luck       ......     253 

Low  swampy  Jungle  of  Travancore  ....     257 

Hunting  in  the  low  Country  of  Travancore  .  .     261 

After  Ibex  in  the  Highlands  of  Travancore  .  .     261 

Siamese  Dagoba  on  the  Menam  River  .  .  .269 

Bangkok  .  .  .  .  .  .  .275 

Dravidian  Temple,  Siam        .....     279 

"We  came  across  a  pool  in  a  jungle  Stream  .  .  .     293 

Van  Heekeren's  Bungalow,  Sinagar,  Java  .  .  .     301 

The  Pipes  of  Pan        .  .  .  .  .  .301 

Tombs  of  the  Caliphs,  Egypt  .  .  .  .327 

In  the  Harbor  of  Amoy  .....     345 

The  Temple  of  Martand,  Kashmir  .  .  .  .355 

Youth  and  Age  ......     363 

Ayuthia  .......     367 

Stout,  Taft,  Stark,  Mather,  Victor,  Dixon,  Pen-in     .  .     381 

Jewels  of  Asia  ......     395 

At  the  "Flower-o-the-Moon"  ....     395 

Along  the  Road  ......     399 

In  the  Arsenal  Gardens,  Tokio  .  .  .  .     399 

Lake  Chuzenji  ......    405 

Highway  near  Hakone  .....    415 

Asama-yama   .......     415 

Myajima  on  the  Inland  Sea  .  .  .  .  .    435 

Dancing  Pavilion,  Palace,  Seoul        .  .  .  .451 

The  strong  Hand  of  Japan  in  Korea  .    455 


ILLUSTRATIONS  TO  VOLUME  II 

Baruboedoer,  the  House  of  many  Buddhas  .Frontispiece 

Village  near  Phyong-yang     .  .  .  .  .15 

Seoul    ........       15 

Ming  Tombs,  Mukden  .  .  .  .  .25 

Temple  of  Heaven,  Peking    .  .  .  .  .41 

Doctor  Morrison         .  .  .  .  .  .47 

A  Mandarin  passes     .  .  .  .  .  .59 

Starting  for  Mongolia  .  .  .  .  .67 

At  the  Gate  of  Chu-yung-kuan        .  .  .  .71 

Where  the  Nankow  Pass  pierces  the  Great  Wall  of  China     .       75 
An  interesting  Place  for  Loafing        .  .  .  .79 

A  Threshing-floor       .  .  .  .  .  .85 

Down  from  the  Desert  of  Gobi          .  .  .  .97 

Da  Shoya's  Encampment        .....     103 

Some  of  Da  Shoya's  Sheep  and  Cattle  .  .  .     109 

The  Caravansary         ......     115 

Ku  Shan  Monastery,  above  Foochow  .  .  .     131 

About  noon  we  turned  into  still  another  side  Valley  .     153 

At  the  Village  of  Tumpo        .  .  .  .  .153 

Difficulties  in  our  Path          .  .  .  .  .157 

We  are  made  welcome  by  the  Head-hunters  of  Laka  Laka  .     157 
The  Trail  took  us  on  up  the  river  Valley        .  .  .     165 

Mount   Morrison         ......     165 

The  Trail  .  .  .  finally  brought  us  out  of  the  Woods 

to  the  bare  grass-covered  Summit  of  Ari  San  .  .  173 

A  Brave  of  the  Hosha  Ban  .  .  .  .  .173 

The  Tomb  of  Salim  Chisti  at  Fatehpur  Sikri  .  .  207 

Amber,  the  Citadel,  Acropolis  and  one  of  the  Reservoirs  .  213 
Detail  of  the  old  Palace,  Amber  .  .  .  .217 

The  Moon  Steps  of  the  royal  Monastery,  Anuradhpura  .  227 
General  View  of  Anuradhpura  from  one  of  the  great  ruined 

Dagobas       .  .  .  .  .  .  .231 


12  ILLUSTRATIONS  TO  VOLUME  II 

The  Queen's  Bathing  Tank  .  .  .  .  .231 

A  rainy  Day  in  Passara          .....     235 

The  old  Portuguese  Fort  and  the  Harbor  of  Mombasa  .     239 

The  narrow  crooked  Streets  of  Mombasa        .  .  .239 

Water-buck      .  .  .     251 

A  Kikuyu  Village       .  .  .  .  .  .255 

Sultan  Wambugu  and  the  Ladies  of  his  Harem        .  .     255 

Crossing  the  Chanya  River  .....     259 

A  Glade  in  the  equatorial  Forests      ....     263 

Meru  Porters  curing  Meat  in  Camp  on  the  Lekiundra  River    273 
Looking  for  Buffalo  ......     285 

Elmorani  of  the  Masai  .....     301 

Eland  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .309 

In  a  bamboo  Forest    .  .  .  .  .     317 

Good  elephant  Country  near  Lake  M'Gunga  .  .     317 

On  the  Spurs  of  Kenia          .....     321 

Thorny  Jungle  about  M  'toto  Andei,  Kilimanjaro  in  the  Dis- 
tance .  .  .  .  .  .  .339 

The  last  Trek  .  .  .  .  .  .  .347 

Making  Cloisonne        .  .  .  .  ..  .    369 

Baruboedoer    .....  379 


FOEEWORD 

In  June,  1907,  four  young  men  who  had  just  graduated 
from  Yale  University,  started  together  on  a  trip  around 
the  world.  One  of  them  was  my  son,  Amasa  Stone  Math- 
er, and  the  other  three  were  Hervey  Bates  Perrin  of  In- 
dianapolis, Arthur  Purdy  Stout  of  New  York,  and  Gilbert 
Little  Stark  of  Saginaw,  Michigan. 

But,  although  they  started  together,  it  was  with  the  dis- 
tinct previous  understanding  that  each  was  to  be  free  to 
follow  his  own  inclination  and  to  separate  and  reunite  with 
his  companions,  as  their  respective  interests  in  different 
countries  suggested.  The  trip  having  been  decided  upon 
a  year  and  a  half  before  graduation,  afforded  plenty  of 
time  for  preparation,  and  they  all  improved  it  by  following 
a  more  or  less  systematic  course  of  reading,  aided  by  sug- 
gestions of  professors  and  friends. 

My  son  kept  a  diary  and  made  various  notes  of  particu- 
lar experiences  that  especially  interested  him,  and  the 
reading  of  these  and  his  letters,  proved  so  interesting  to 
his  family,  that  at  my  request,  he  has  prepared  them  since 
his  return,  so  that  I  may  have  them  printed,  and  thus  bet- 
ter preserved  for  his  and  our  future  pleasure  in  reread- 
ing. 

Trips  around  the  world  are  now  such  every-day  occur- 
rences, that  a  narrative  of  one,  can  hardly  be  expected  to 
contain  anything  new,  or  be  interesting  to  any  outside 
one's  own  family,  and  yet,  inasmuch  as  these  young  men 
did  have  one  or  two  experiences  somewhat  out  of  the  com- 
mon-particularly  in  Mongolia,  Formosa,  the  Shan  States, 
and  my  son,  later,  in  British  East  Africa -I  have  ven- 
tured to  assume  that  perhaps  a  few  of  his  and  my  par- 


14  FOREWORD 


ticular  friends  might  be  interested  also  in  a  perusal  of  his 
narrative. 

Their  trip  was  grievously  saddened  by  the  sudden  ill- 
ness and  death  of  one  of  their  number,  Gilbert  Stark,  a 
young  man  of  talent  and  charming  personality.  His 
father  has  had  printed  for  private  distribution,  his  letters 
and  diary,  which  constitute  one  of  the  most  graphic  and 
delightful  books  of  travel  I  have  ever  read,  and  afford 
abundant  evidence  of  his  great  promise. 

In  conclusion,  I  wish  to  say,  that  these  letters  and  this 
diary  were  hastily  written  as  the  exigencies  of  travel  per- 
mitted, and  with  no  thought  of  publication. 

SAMUEL  MATHER. 


PEEFATOEY  NOTE 

I  hope  the  reader  will  pardon  the  abrupt  way  in  which 
these  letters  spring  in  medias  res  but  except  for  much 
that  has  been  taken  out,  everything  has  been  left  very 
nearly  as  it  was  written.  There  are  many  things  about 
which  I  should  like  to  have  said  more,  and  undoubtedly 
as  many  upon  which  I  should  have  dwelt  less.  Some  spe- 
cial articles  indicated  in  the  book  and  upon  which  I  had 
notes,  I  never  found  time  to  write  up ;  others  are  partially 
given  as  part  of  the  letters  and  diary.  I  am  conscious  of 
some  repetition,  which  I  left  in  to  preserve  the  context,  and 
there  are  a  few  letters  missing. 

A.  S.  M. 


EXTEACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

STEAMSHIP  MARITANA,  July  1,  1907. 

DEAR  FATHER  :  This  is  a  funny  sort  of  a  letter  to  write, 
but  I  realize  I  am  a  pretty  undemonstrative  sort  of  a  fel- 
low, and  I  want  you  to  be  sure  that  I  appreciate  not  only 
the  wonderful  kindness,  generosity,  and  patience  that  you 
have  always  shown  me,  but  the  thousand  and  one  things 
you  have  done  for  this  particular  trip:  getting  all  those 
wonderful  letters,  fixing  up  this  lake  party,  bothering 
about  the  guns,  etc.  I  tell  you  it  makes  a  fellow  feel  that 
it  is  up  to  him  to  deserve  it,  when  his  father  takes  such  an 
interest  in  him,  and  does  so  much  for  him,  so  I  am  going 
to  try  and  make  this  trip  so  valuable  to  me  that  you  will 
feel  that  it  has  been,  in  addition  to  everything  else,  a 
mighty  good  investment. 

We  are  having  a  dandy  time  on  the  boat,  weather  fine, 
grub  splendid,  and  Captain  Bowen  and  Mr.  Eames,  bully 
good  fellows.  We  have  been  playing  all  sorts  of  games, 
catch,  hop-scotch,  etc.,  and  doing  stunts,  reading,  and 
repacking.  We  picked  up  Johnnie  all  right  at  Detroit, 
smiling  and  immaculate,  as  I  telegraphed  you.  We  have 
to  get  off  at  the  Sault  at  1  a.m.,  but  will  turn  right  in  at 
the  hotel.  Will  write  you  from  Seattle.  Love  to  all.  AM. 

STEAMSHIP  MARITANA,  July  1,  1907. 
DEAR  Liv :  Purdy  Stout,  Hank  Failing,  Johnnie  Vietor, 
and  I  are  on  the  good  old  Maritana  and  having  no  end  of 
a  good  time,  as  in  the  days  of  yore.  I  was  awfully  sorry 
not  to  be  able  to  combine  this  lake  trip  with  seeing  you  and 
Grace  before  I  left,  and  hope  you  will  tell  her  how  disap- 
pointed I  was,  at  missing  her  in  Cleveland,  and  that  you 
both  could  not  be  on  at  commencement  time. 


18  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

I  hardly  realized,  until  I  said  good-by  to  grandmamma, 
who  was  quite  broken  up,  how  long  I  was  going  to  be  gone. 
It  will  be  quite  a  while  before  I  see  any  of  the  good  old 
familiar  faces  again,  but  meantime,  it  is  up  to  me  to  greet 
the  unseen  with  a  smile  and  get  the  most  out  of  this  won- 
derful trip.  Father  has  been  wonderfully  kind,  helping 
me  in  a  thousand  ways,  getting  letters,  arranging  for  this 
lake  trip,  and  generosity  itself  in  outfitting  me.  Herve 
Pen-in,  Gil  Stark,  Wally  Taft,  and  Ted  Dickson  will  meet 
us  in  Seattle,  and  we  all  cross  and  travel  in  Japan  together. 
Well  Liv,  if  you  are  still  up  in  Ishpeming,  when  I  get  back, 
I  want  very  much  to  run  up  and  stay  with  you  for  a  few 
days.  I  will  write  you  more  fully  when  there  is  more  to 
tell.  Lovingly,  AM. 

LAKE  LOUISE  CHALET,  Laggan,  Alba,  Saturday,  July  6. 

DEAR  Liv:  This  is  certainly  a  romantically  beautiful 
place,  and  I  could  easily  see  what  a  wonderful  time  you 
and  Grace  must  have  had.  I  have  decided  to  spend  my 
honeymoon  here  also.  Johnnie  and  I  got  off  at  three  this 
morning,  Purdy  and  Hank  foolishly  staying  on  the  train. 
After  breakfast,  we  climbed  up  past  Mirror  and  Agnes 
Lakes  to  a  rocky  knoll  called  The  Bee-hive,  where  we  got 
a  wonderful  view.  The  whole  trip  so  far  has  been  splen- 
did ;  and  this  jaunt  with  the  lovely  lakes,  rocky  snow-clads, 
and  glaciers,  and  the  relaxation  from  the  train  has  been  a 
splendid  climax.  I  found  your  names  here, ' '  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
S.  L.  Mather,  July  14th,  1906." 

"We  go  on  this  afternoon  and  expect  to  make  Seattle 
Monday,  sailing  at  noon  on  Tuesday.  Johnnie  says  he 
thinks  he  saw  you  at  Banff  last  summer.  I  don't  know 
whether  you  remember  him  or  not.  I  never  felt  in  such 
perfect  health  in  my  life,  though  I'm  a  bit  soft,  not  hav- 
ing been  able  to  exercise  much  this  spring,  on  account  of 
my  sprained  ankle.  I  had  to  take  it  out  in  riding  and 
cruising.  AMASA. 


one]  STEAMSHIP  SHINANA  MARU  19 

HOTEL  STANDEE,  Seattle,  Monday,  July  8,  1907. 

DEAR  FATHER:  Just  a  line,  as  I  am  fearfully  rushed 
and  will  write  you  more  fully  from  the  boat  after  we 
start.  This  is  Monday  at  6  p.  m.,  and  the  rifle  hasn't  come 
yet!  Also  the  trunk  containing  all  my  ammunition,  films, 
heavy  steamer  overcoat,  Thermos  bottle,  binoculars,  etc., 
has  gone  and  gotten  itself  lost,  and  we  sail  at  daybreak 
tomorrow,  so  you  can  imagine  the  state  of  my  temper.  I 
have  been  chasing  around  town  all  day,  doing  errands, 
looking  after  that  rifle  and  trunk,  and  finally  making  ar- 
rangements to  have  them  shipped  after  me,  though  in  my 
heart  of  hearts  I  never  expect  to  see  either  of  them  again. 

We  are  all  together  now,  and  everything  promises  a  fine 
trip.  The  journey  across  the  continent  was  pleasant  and 
quite  enjoyable,  particularly  the  stop-over  Johnnie  V.  and 
I  made  at  Lake  Louise.  Love  to  all,  AM. 

NIPPON  YUSEN  KAISHA,  Steamship  Shinana  Maru,  Sunday, 
July  21,  1907. 

DEAR  MOTHER  :  The  voyage  so  far  has  been  delightful, 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  we  have  only  had  two  days  of  real 
sunshine,  and  that  it  has  been  uniformly  cold  and  foggy. 
Our  course  is  northwest  to  within  twenty  miles  of  the 
Aleutian  Islands,  then  west  for  about  five  hundred  miles 
before  turning  southwest  to  Japan.  This  would  seem  to  be 
a  somewhat  roundabout  way,  but  a  glance  at  a  globe  will 
show  you  that  it  is,  in  reality,  shorter  than  a  course  appar- 
ently straight  across,  owing  to  the  convexity  of  the  globe. 

My  postals  from  Victoria  spoke,  I  think,  of  the  wonder- 
ful scenery  Tuesday  morning,  during  the  run  from  Seattle 
through  Puget  Sound,  with  the  towering  snow-capped 
Olympics  of  Vancouver  Island  on  one  side,  and  wonderful 
Mount  Baker  on  the  mainland.  Victoria  itself  is  a  charm- 
ing city,  very  English  with  its  big  estates  upon  a  hill  over- 
looking the  harbor.  Our  fellow  passengers  have  proven 
very  entertaining  and  interesting,  particularly  two  young 


20 EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS [Vol. 

graduates  of  Ohio  University,  Webb  Baker  and  Warren 
Powel,  the  latter  a  son  of  Ex-governor  Powel  of  Ohio,  from 
Columbus;  Doctor  Nakada  San  (San  is  the  pleasant  Jap 
way  of  saying  gentleman),  a  Japanese  Christian  mission- 
ary of  great  courtesy,  culture,  and  enthusiasm,  who  has 
had  a  varied  and  vicissitudinous  life,  and  a  young  Scotch 
philosopher,  psychologist,  teacher,  painter,  architect,  and 
minister,  named  Chambers,  who  is  off  for  twelve  years  of 
travel  and  study.  With  both  of  the  latter,  I  have  had  some 
of  the  longest,  most  interesting,  and  I  hope  valuable  con- 
versations of  my  life,  on  a  variety  of  subjects  ranging  from 
practical  ethics,  the  new  pragmatism,  the  royal  academy 
and  modern  British  school  of  painting,  to  the  Samurai 
spirit  in  Japan,  shintoism,  jiu  jitsu,  authors,  their  books, 
lives  and  anecdotes,  all  interspersed  with  personal  remin- 
iscences and  stories.  Naturally  I  have  been  chiefly  listener, 
and  I  can  tell  you  it  has  been  fine.  Both  these  men  are  lions 
in  their  own  way,  and  I  dare  say  you  have  heard  of  both, 
surely  of  Nakada,  who  may  be  called  the  foremost  Japa- 
nese missionary.  He  has  preached  largely  in  both  Ameri- 
ca and  England,  and  I  have  asked  him  to  let  me  know  when 
next  he  is  in  America,  so  that  we  can  have  him  to  stay  with 
us  for  a  few  days.  He  was  General  Kuroki's  chaplain 
through  the  war  and  has  a  church  in  Tokio.  He  has  been 
very  nice  to  us  and  is  brimful  of  fun,  jokes,  games,  and  in- 
formation. He  is  very  much  interested  in  our  trip  and  has 
given  us  many  valuable  suggestions  for  his  own  country. 
He  also  plans  to  be  with  us  on  our  ascent  of  Fuji.  He  has 
never  touched  tobacco  or  liquor,  and  we  got  a  good  joke  on 
him  yesterday.  We  had  been  fooling  around  for  some 
time,  taking  pictures,  etc.,  and  I  asked  him  if  he  wouldn't 
like  to  have  his  picture  taken  with  Ted  and  me,  all  hold- 
ing empty  glasses,  as  a  symbol  of  purity*  He  said, 
"  yes,"  so  just  as  Wally  snapped  it,  Ted  whisked  out  a 
cocktail  shaker  and  I  started  pouring  something  in  his 
glass  from  a  black  suspicious  looking  bottle.  We  devel- 


one]  STEAMSHIP  SHINANA  MARU  21 

oped  the  pictures,  and  they  came  out  beautifully,  to  the 
delight  of  all  on  board.  He  didn't  really  mind,  except 
that  he  hated  to  be  caught  napping,  as  he  prides  himself 
on  being  very  sharp.  It  has  caused  lots  of  fun ;  arid  we 
threatened  to  have  it  printed,  and  sent  on  postal  cards  to 
all  members  of  his  congregation,  with  the  legend,  '  *  How 
are  the  mighty  fallen ! ' ' 

Captain  Kawara  is  a  most  affable  old  salt.  He  showed 
me  several  books  of  most  thrilling  photos  and  snapshots, 
taken  during  the  Boxer  trouble  and  the  late  war ;  both  of 
which  he  has  been  through.  The  chief  engineer  is  a  dour 
and  canny  old  Scot,  with  a  good  sense  of  humor  and  a 
partiality  for  bridge  [not  the  ship's]  and  cigars.  There 
is  also  a  pleasant  German,  named  Eeinecke,  with  whom  I 
have  been  discussing  a  place  to  settle  down  in  Germany 
and  study  for  a  while  next  year,  if  I  have  time.  He  rep- 
resents a  Seattle  firm,  dealing  in  Japanese  curios,  and  has 
volunteered  to  help  us  select  some  good  bronzes  and  cut- 
velvet.  Last  night,  Gil  and  I  got  up  a  little  entertainment 
of  songs,  recitations,  and  stunts,  in  which  Japs  and  all 
took  part.  Have  been  doing  a  lot  of  splendid  reading: 
novels,  philosophy,  travel,  and  history.  No  fussing. 
More  later.  Love  to  all,  AMASA. 

NIPPON  YUSEN  KAISHA,  Steamship  Shinana  Maru,  July 

25, 1907. 

DEAR  GRACE:  The  letters  which  I  shall  write  to  you 
and  Liv,  the  family,  and  the  Mathers  at  1369  Euclid,  we 
have  decided  it  is  best  to  have  interchangeable,  as  in  that 
way  I  can  go  right  on  every  time  from  where  I  left  off 
(and  I  am  keeping  track  of  the  letters  in  a  note  book)  like 
a  diary,  and  thus  be  able  to  write  more  fully.  I  also  want 
mother  to  keep  all  my  letters,  when  everyone  is  through 
with  them,  so  that  I  can  go  over  them  when  I  get  back  and 
take  out  anything  which  I  didn't  get  in  my  diary  and  note 
books  at  the  time.  My  last  letter  was  written  to  mother 


22 EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS [Vol. 

on  Sunday,  July  twenty-first  and  was  mostly  about  life  on 
the  ship. 

I  want  to  thank  you  and  Liv  ever  so  much  for  the  splen- 
did little  set  of  bottles,  which  the  family  forwarded,  and 
which  I  found  waiting  for  me  on  the  steamer  with  Liv's 
good  letter.  Its  bully  for  a  traveler,  so  strong  and  com- 
pact, and  is  peculiarly  a  treasure  trove  to  me,  as  I  left  my 
own,  a  much  poorer  one,  behind  me  in  the  hurry  of  pack- 
ing. .  . 

As  I  write  this,  we  are  steaming  along  the  coast  of 
Japan  under  a  cloudless  blue  sky,  having  passed  Cape 
Kinkasan  shortly  after  breakfast.  Several  fishing  junks 
and  whales  are  hovering  about  in  the  offing,  the  latter 
spouting  lazily.  The  shore  is  high  and  rugged,  covered 
sparsely  with  a  stunted  growth  peculiar  to  Dai  Nippon 
(Great  Japan).  The  brilliant  sun  keeps  "  The  lightning 
of  the  noon- tide  ocean  flashing  around  me  "  in  a  wonder- 
ful and  jewellike  manner.  Except  for  one  day's  storm  and 
some  heavy  ground  swells  (though  why  called  "  ground 
swells  "  I  couldn't  pretend  to  tell  you  as  they  are  a  long 
way  from  the  ground),  we  have  had  pleasant,  though 
mostly  foggy  weather.  During  the  last  few  days,  besides 
the  usual  stunts,  reading,  long  talks,  and  games,  we  have 
been  detailing  our  plans  and  studying  Japanese,  of  which 
we  have  learned  quite  a  little.  Yesterday  there  was  some 
most  interesting  Japanese  fencing  in  the  waist  of  the  ship. 
One  of  the  men  was  a  professional  and  considered  very 
good. 

We  get  in  tomorrow  morning,  and  though  it  now  seems 
as  though  some  of  my  golden  dreams  are  really  about  to 
come  true,  yet  I  shall  be  sincerely  sorry  to  leave  this 
staunch  little  packet,  for  I  have  enjoyed  every  moment 
of  the  past  two  weeks  and  have  never  been  so  thoroughly 
and  delightfully  lazy  in  my  life.  I  highly  recommend  this 
line  for  comfort,  good  food,  polite  attention,  exaggerated 
cleanliness,  and  a  chance  to  pick  up  a  little  Japanese  for 
those  who  travel  west,  as  we  do ;  also,  it  is  cheaper.  The 


one]  TOKIO  23 

past  two  weeks  have  made  for  us  not  only  many  pleasant 
and  interesting  new  friends,  but  have  bound  the  seven  of  us 
more  closely  together,  we  of  the  old  guard,  looking  more 
eagerly  forward  to  our  year  together,  and  sorry  that  we 
shall  have  to  lose  Johnnie,  Ted,  and  Wally  in  September. 
I  will  finish  this  in  Tokio. 

TOKIO,  late  Saturday  night,  July  27, 1907. 

The  last  two  days  have  been  so  crowded,  yet  quiet ;  in- 
teresting, yet  diverting;  and  novel,  yet  familiar  (I'll  ex- 
plain the  paradox  presently)  that  I  hardly  know  where 
to  begin.  Both  days  have  been  perfect,  as  regards 
weather.  We  were  up  early  as  the  boat  steamed  up  beau- 
tiful Yeddo  Bay,  past  the  wreck  of  the  Minnesota,  past 
the  torpedo  boats  and  destroyers,  and  past  the  countless 
small  but  formidable  fortifications. 

There  was  great  bustle  and  excitement  at  leaving  and 
landing,  though  the  customs  were  easily  through  with,  as 
Wally  had  the  courtesy  of  the  port,  which  included  us  all. 
We  spent  a  busy  day  in  Yokohama  shopping,  seeing 
temples,  etc.,  and  Gil  and  I  had  a  Japanese  luncheon 
served  us  by  some  charming  girls  in  a  pretty  little  tea- 
house. We  are  getting  along  swimmingly  in  Japanese 
and  can  already  pay  delicate  compliments  on  an  eyebrow 
or  a  fan.  We  have  been  royally  entertained  by  our 
Japanese  friends  since  we  came  here  -  the  best  event  be- 
ing the  dinner  and  dances  at  the  famous  and  exclusive 
Maple  Club1  given  tonight  by  Doctor  Sato,  who  is  head 
of  the  Imperial  Hospital.  Ted  and  I  were  jabbering 
away  and  teaching  parlor  tricks  to  three  young  pippins 
apiece  before  the  game  broke  up. 

The  paradox  is  that  while  everything  is  charming,  and 
of  course  really  new  to  us,  yet  our  extensive  reading 
makes  us  recognize  every  beautiful  spot  or  queer  custom 
as  an  old  friend.  AMASA. 

i  See  special  account  of  the  dinner  at  the  Maple  Club  in  Diary. 


24  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

Letter  to  8.  L.  Mather  dated  from  Tokio,  July  30,  describing 
the  Sunday  spent  at  Kamakura  and  Enoshima,  lost. 

TOKIO,  July  31,  1907. 

DEAE  FATHER  :  * '  May  you  increase  and  become  as 
strong  as  the  great  stone  of  Isenoya,"  which  is  a  polite 
Japanese  way  of  saying  *  *  I  hope  you  are  well. ' '  Every 
old  half-forgotten  dream  of  mine  seems  to  be  coming  true 
here,  where  one's  first  delightful  impressions  don't  seem 
to  wear  off.  To  be  sure,  we  have  had  absolutely  perfect 
weather,  bright  blue  skies,  and  not  a  drop  of  rain -late 
afternoon  is  perhaps  the  best  time,  though,  with  a  gor- 
geous sunset  over  the  lotus-filled  palace  moat,  or  else  a 
bright  moonlight  night  in  Sheba  Park. 

Our  Japanese  friends  have  been  most  hospitable.  Mr. 
Osiwara  took  us  to  luncheon,  and  the  celebrated  Dr.  Sato 
(to  whom  John  had  a  letter)  gave  us  a  wonderful  Japan- 
ese dinner  at  the  Maple  Club,  interspersed  with  rare 
dances  of  a  dramatic  and  symbolic  nature,  and  with 
dainty  little  geishas  to  cater  to  and  serve  us.  My  last 
letter  to  Liv  took  us  through  Sunday,  I  think,  with  its 
delightful  glimpse  of  country  life  at  Kamakura  and 
Enoshima,  given  us  by  lyesu  San  (Yale  '05  S.)  with  the 
tramp,  the  surf -bathing,  etc.  Since  then  we  have  been 
knocking  around  Tokio,  visiting,  shopping,  seeing  tem- 
ples, gardens,  etc.  We  have  not  been  leading  a  very 
strenuous  life  but  the  time  has  fairly  flown.  To-day  we 
bought  complete  Jap  suits  which  we  intend  to  wear  on 
our  two-weeks'  walking  trip  through  the  country,  starting 
Friday.  I  have  eaten  about  ten  real  Jap  meals  now,  and 
can  use  chop  sticks  splendidly.  I  really  like  raw  fish, 
dipped  in  soy,  too.  I  called  on  a  baron  this  afternoon, 
who  was  very  nice,  and  has  a  son  at  Pennsylvania  Uni- 
versity. We  also  had  tickets  given  us  to  a  Jiu  Jitsu 
School  where  we  saw  some  fifty  modern  gladiatorial  com- 
bats going  on.  Tonight  some  of  us  are  going  down  to 
have  a  little  party  of  our  own  at  Ka-getsu  [Flower-o  '-the- 


one] YUMOTO 25 

Moon]  Tea  House,  where  they  have  the  prettiest  maids 
and  geishas  in  all  Dai  Nippon! 

I  would  suggest  that  you  arrange  with  the  cable  office 
at  Cleveland,  that  all  cablegrams  addressed  "Matherite, 
Cleveland,"  are  for  you,  which  will  save  me  one  word 
every  time  I  cable.  Also  if  you  have  any  card  or  seal 
which  shows  the  Mather  crest  in  its  proper  colors,  and 
can  send  it  to  me,  I  should  be  very  much  obliged,  as  I 
should  like  to  have  it  enameled  on  a  watch  or  something. 

Haven't  heard  from  my  box  or  gun  yet,  but  expect  they 
will  have  reached  Yokohama  by  the  time  I  get  back  from 
my  northern  trip.  The  enclosed  clipping  about  the  col- 
lege graduate,  by  George  Ade,  may  amuse  you.  With 
best  love  to  all,  your  affectionate  son,  AMASA. 

YUMOTO,  August  7,  1907. 

DEAR  FATHER  :  This  is  written  from  Yumoto,  the  sec- 
ond stage  of  our  walking  trip  through  the  mountains,  but 
we've  been  here  since  the  afternoon  of  the  day  before 
yesterday,  both  because  it  has  been  raining,  and  the  next 
stage  is  over  a  steep  rocky  pass,  whose  precipitous  trail 
is  well  night  impassable,  even  to  pedestrians,  in  rainy 
weather  ("  Try  not  the  pass,  the  old  man  said") ;  and 
because  Gil  and  Hervey,  who  were  to  follow  us  in  a  day 
from  Nikko,  have  not  as  yet  appeared. 

My  last  letter  brought  things  to  the  thirty-first  of  July, 
I  think.  On  August  first,  I  did  a  bit  of  shopping,  and 
visited,  with  Ted,  the  beautiful  arsenal  gardens,  where 
we  were  entertained  and  shown  over  this  gem  of  Tokio 
by  two  old  veterans.  I  also  called  upon  M.  Nagasaki, 
who  was  most  cordial,  and  is  going  to  give  us  permission 
to  see  the  Imperial  Gardens  in  Tokio,  castles  at  Osaka 
and  Nagoya,  and  the  castle  and  palace  at  Kioto;  also  (on 
the  strength  chiefly  of  Miss  Boardman's  letter)  to  allow 
me  to  enter  the  imperial  palace  at  Tokio,  while  the  em- 
peror is  still  there,  and  perhaps,  who  knows,  in  this  age 
of  miracles,  to  meet  him !  Secretary  Wm.  Taft,  I  under- 


26  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

stand,  is  the  only  foreigner  who  has  had  this  honor  for 
some  time;  but  of  course  it  may  not  come  off.  August 
second,  we  went  to  Nikko,  which  is  without  doubt  the  most 
perfectly  beautiful  place  I  have  seen -no  detail  seems 
lacking  which  either  man  or  nature  could  supply.  A  pro- 
fusion of  temples,  shrines,  mausoleums,  terraces,  grand 
stone  staircases,  all  the  finest  of  their  kind,  and  situated  in 
a  vast  grove  of  cryptomerias,  abounding  in  clear  streams 
and  water  falls;  but  Nikko  is  such  a  well  known  place, 
and  so  much  has  been  written  about  it,  so  delightfully, 
that  I  shan't  do  more  than  say  that  I  was  not  disappoint- 
ed, in  spite  of  all  I  had  read.  We  left  there  with  great 
regret  on  Sunday,  the  fourth,  and  tramped  to  beautiful 
Lake  Chuzenji-high  in  the  mountains.  We  passed  sev- 
eral waterfalls  on  the  way,  and  reached  this  place  shortly 
after  noon  the  next  day -July  fifth -in  a  rain  which 
hasn't  let  up  for  more  than  an  hour  since.  However,  we 
haven't  minded  the  wait,  as  the  inn,  though  small,  is  very 
comfortable,  and  there  are  some  nice  people,  mostly  Ger- 
mans. The  mountains  around  this  lake,  several  of  which 
are  over  eight  thousand  feet,  have  all  been  hidden  in 
clouds,  and  though  I  took  one  good  tramp,  I  came  back 
drenched,  and  have  remained  here  ever  since,  reading 
the  lurid  literature  of  the  hotel,  as  I  have  only  one  suit 
of  European  clothes  with  me -white  duck.  This  place 
is  celebrated  throughout  Japan  both  because  of  its  beauty 
and  its  famous  sulphur  baths,  of  which  there  are  as  many 
as  ten  public  ones,  always  full,  even  as  late  as  ten  at 
night.  We  have  indulged  in  two  a  day  at  our  hotel,  and 
though  the  temperature  is  one  hundred  and  nine  degrees 
Fahrenheit,  the  Japs  average  six  to  eight  a  day.  There 
are  only  about  thirty  houses  here,  including  baths,  but  it 
is  interesting  to  go  through  the  streets  and  see  the  gentle, 
placid,  almost  bovine  life  they  all  lead -bathe,  sleep, 
bathe,  eat,  play  the  flute,  bathe  again,  bathe,  ad  infinitum. 
The  greatest  excitement  of  the  week  was  when  Purdy  and 
I  ham-strung  a  small  garter  snake -the  whole  town 


KARUIZAWA  29 


turned  out,  except  one  old  woman,  whom  I  afterwards 
ascertained  was  blind,  so  of  course  I  didn't  scold  her,  as 
she  otherwise  deserved.  Tomorrow,  if  it  is  fair,  we  shall 
climb  Nantai  San,  8,400  feet,  and  if  not,  push  on  over  the 
Konsei  Toga  Pass  to  Higashi  Ogawa,  whether  the  others 
come  or  not. 

This  trip  (of  two  weeks  in  all)  has  so  far  been,  and  will, 
I  think,  continue  to  be  delightful.  It  is  at  any  rate 
getting  us  back  into  splendid  shape  after  our  long  inactiv- 
ity on  the  steamer.  Best  love  to  all,  AMASA. 

KARUIZAWA,  August  13, 1907. 

DEAR  AUNTIE  KATE  :  I  am  stalled  up  in  my  room  with- 
out any  clothes  except  the  dirty  old  Jap  things  I  have 
been  walking  in  for  the  last  week.  My  last  letter  home 
left  Purdy  Stout  and  me  at  Yumoto,  where  we  had  been 
held  up  for  two  days  on  our  walking  trip  through  the 
mountains,  by  rain.  However,  the  next  day,  in  spite  of 
a  misty  rain,  we  pushed  on  over  the  great  Konsei  Toga 
Pass.  The  trail  was  very  rough  and  steep,  and  we  were 
in  heavy  clouds  most  of  the  morning,  but  just  as  we 
reached  the  top,  the  wind  cleared  a  vista,  which  gave  us  a 
wonderful  view  of  the  mountains  around  and  the  dark  Tarn 
Yumoto  far  below.  This  whole  section  of  Japan  is  cov- 
ered with  an  almost  primeval  forest,  and  for  twelve 
miles  the  only  habitation  we  saw  was  a  lonely  hunter's 
hut,  where  we  stopped  for  a  bite  and  a  smoke.  But  the 
wild  flowers !  I  have  never  seen  such  profusion  or  vari- 
ety and  delicacy  of  tint  and  blossom.  Statistics  show  that 
Japan  has  over  twice  as  many  varieties  as  we  have. 

It  was  sixteen  miles  in  all  to  the  little  thatched  village 
of  Higashi  Ogawa,  where  we  obtained  some  villainous 
ponies,  with  painfully  primitive  saddles,  for  a  twenty- 
five  mile  ride  to  Numata.  It  cleared  most  nobly  in  the 
afternoon,  and  the  scenery  was  splendid,  our  trail  wind- 
ing up  over  another  pass,  down  through  wild  gorges  and 
over  foaming  torrents.  We  did  the  last  six  miles  in 


30  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

darkness,  and  stopped  at  a  very  kindly  Japanese  inn. 
The  next  day  we  went  on  foot  twenty  miles  to  the  Japan- 
ese summer  resort  Ikao,  high  in  the  hills.  Here  we  found 
Hervey  and  Gil,  who,  deterred  by  the  rain,  had  come 
around  by  train  from  Nikko,  but  very  few  other  foreign- 
ers. We  all  stayed  here  three  days  together,  and  enjoyed 
some  wonderful  walks  and  climbs,  particularly  up  to  beau- 
tiful Lake  Haruna.  The  main  village  street  here  is  built 
up  and  down  a  long  flight  of  moss  grown  stone  steps  - 
much  like  Clovelly  and  most  picturesque. 

The  others  had  had  enough  of  walking  by  this  time,  and 
went  back  to  Tokio,  but  I  pushed  on  to  Matzuida,  twenty- 
five  miles  over  the  hills,  with  our  native  servant,  Hamada, 
a  capital  fellow,  who  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Muk- 
den. In  the  morning  again,  it  was  misty,  but  cleared  up 
by  noon,  and  was  very  hot,  as  we  breasted  the  ridges  in 
the  afternoon;  so  much  so,  in  fact,  that  we  enjoyed  a  cold 
plunge,  in  the  pool  of  a  mountain  stream,  very  much. 
In  the  evening,  we  took  train  from  Matzuida  up  here- 
the  high  cool  resort  of  most  of  the  foreign  residents  dur- 
ing the  summer.  I  had  sent  my  luggage  around  by  train, 
but  as  it  hasn't  arrived,  even  this  morning,  I  have  been 
forced  to  keep  my  room  in  a  kimona.  I  hope  it  comes 
today,  as  the  weather  is  fine,  and  I  want  to  climb  the  old 
volcano,  Asama-yama  tonight,  for  tomorrow's  sunrise. 
I  know  a  young  American  here,  but  he  is  smaller  than  I, 
so  I  can't  borrow.  Love  to  all,  with  lots  for  yourself, 

AM  ASA. 

P.S.     11  a.m.     Luggage  just  arrived.    Hurrah! 

TOKIO,  August  16,  1907. 

DEAR  MOTHER:  My  last  letter  was  to  Auntie  Kate, 
and  left  me  just  getting  my  clothes  at  Karuizawa.  I 
found  that  I  knew  several  people  there,  and  as  I  met  a  lot 
more,  I  had  a  bully  three  days.  The  night  before  last, 
two  other  lads,  Warren  Powell  and  Webb  Baker,  and  I, 
started  out  to  climb  the  great  volcano,  Asama-yama, 


TOKIO  33 


which  is  active  and  sends  out  clouds  of  smoke  and  cinders 
every  day,  a  glorious  sight.  It  is  eight  thousand  five 
hundred  odd  feet  high,  and  fifteen  miles  from  the  town, 
so  that  it  took  us  thirteen  hours  to  get  up  and  back.  We 
had  been  hoping  for  good  weather  and  a  clear  sunrise, 
but  it  began  to  rain  almost  as  soon  as  we  started,  and  in- 
creased to  a  terrible  wind  and  rain  storm,  which  made 
climbing  up  the  steep  and  narrow  trail  quite  exciting, 
especially  as  it  was  almost  impossible  to  keep  our  paper 
lanterns  lit.  It  was  cold  as  Greenland  on  top,  with  prac- 
tically no  view,  and  every  now  and  then  great  clouds  of 
sulphurous  smoke  would  envelop  us  from  the  glowing 
crater  beneath.  We  were  drenched  to  the  skin  almost  as 
soon  as  we  started,  and  so  didn't  mind  the  perfect  tor- 
rents of  rain  which  turned  the  trail  into  a  river,  as  we 
went  down,  and  eventually  flooded  the  whole  town.  As  a 
pleasure  trip  for  a  view,  our  expedition  was  not  a  success ; 
but  I  enjoyed  it  and  wouldn't  have  missed  it  for  any- 
thing-nor  will  Karuizawa  lightly  forget  it  as  an  exploit, 
for  no  one  thought  we  could  ever  get  up,  on  account  of 
the  wind,  cold,  and  darkness. 

I  got  here  last  night,  to  find  that  the  others  were  leav- 
ing for  Kioto  this  morning.  As  theirs  is  rather  the  cut- 
and-dried  sight-seeking  program  for  the  next  ten  days,  I 
am  going  off  for  another  walking  and  riding  trip  into  the 
country,  as  I  enjoy  the  mountains  and  the  people  more  than 
the  cities.  This  trip  will  embrace  Myanoshita,  Hakone, 
Atami,  and  the  Ten  Province  Pass.  They  have  also  de- 
cided to  give  up  the  ascent  of  Fuji  twelve  thousand  six 
hundred  feet,  which  I  am  hoping  to  do  later,  with  the 
same  two  chaps,  Warren  Powell  and  Webb  Baker,  who 
climbed  Asama  with  me  at  Karuizawa. 

It  is  a  little  cooler  now  in  Tokio  than  when  we  were 
here  before.  M.  Nagasaki  had  called  while  I  was  away, 
and  also  sent  me  a  letter  saying  that  he  was  now  gone 
to  pay  his  respects  to  the  Crown  Prince,  but  would  be 
back  by  the  twentieth,  when  he  had  arranged  to  take  me 


34  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

through  the  palace  and  the  imperial  gardens.  It  is  in 
conflict  with  my  present  plans,  as  far  as  time  is  con- 
cerned, but  I  may  be  able  to  work  it  in.  I  wrote  him  at 
once,  of  course,  to  thank  him,  and  show  my  appreciation 
of  his  courtesy. 

I  am  in  the  very  best  of  health,  and  hope  all  at  home 
are,  also.  Your  loving  son,  AMASA. 

KIOTO,  August  22, 1907. 

DEAB  MOTHER:  My  last  letter  was  from  Tokio  on 
August  sixteenth,  to  father.  The  principal  things  to  tell 
you  in  this  brief  epistle,  are  that  Ted,  Johnnie,  Wally,  and 
I  have  joined  a  Jiu  Jitsu  School -the  Hall  of  Manly 
Virtue  -  which  entitles  us  to  a  life  membership,  as  well  as 
our  *  *  heirs  and  assassins  ' '  forever.  We  are  taking  les- 
sons daily  while  here.  Also  that  the  immortal  party  of 
four -the  old-guard-is  about  to  split  for  a  long  time.  I 
was  talking  the  other  day  about  several  possible  inland 
trips  through  China,  and  giving  the  latest  information 
about  it,  which  I  had  secured  from  a  casual  German  ac- 
quaintance, Herr  Leinung,  whom  I  met  at  Lake  Hakone, 
when  Purdy  and  Hervey  became  suddenly  fired,  and  de- 
cided to  leave  here  together  almost  immediately  for  Han- 
kow, via  Shang-hai,  and  go  up  the  Yangtse,  across  coun- 
try, coming  out  eventually  in  Burma.  It  will  be  a  long, 
monotonous,  tedious,  but  by  no  means  uninteresting  trip 
of  probably  over  four  months.  I  am  sorry,  for  their 
sakes,  because  it  will  mean  a  sacrifice  of  so  many  other 
good  things ;  and  for  my  own,  because  Gil  and  I  shall  miss 
them. 

My  second  walking  trip  through  Myanoshita,  Hakone 
Atami,  Namadsu,  and  over  the  Ten  Province  Pass,  proved 
even  better  than  the  first,  and  I  got  fine  views  from  the 
tops  of  the  Maiden  and  the  Ten  Province  Passes.  At 
Hakone,  I  stumbled  upon  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Thwing,  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Smith,  and  we  had  a  nice  chat.  They  wished 
to  be  remembered  to  you  and  to  father.  I  shall  be  here 


one]  MYAJIMA  35 

and  at  Kobe  for  another  five  days,  and  am  then  going 
back  to  Tokio  to  meet  the  Emperor  and  see  the  palace 
[through  the  kindness  of  M.  Nagasaki],  if  convenient.  I 
shall  then  climb  Fuji,  and  after  that,  shall  head  straight 
for  Fusan,  Korea.  Am  in  splendid  condition.  This  is  a 
beautiful  city  of  temples.  We  are  being  feasted  and  en- 
tertained by  Japanese  friends.  Love  to  all,  AMASA. 

MYAJIMA,  August  31, 1907. 

DEAR  MOTHER  :  My  last  letter  was  from  Kioto  on  the 
twenty-fourth,  I  think.  The  next  day  being  Sunday,  Ted, 
Gil,  and  I  rickshawed  out  to  beautiful  Lake  Biwa,  coming 
back  through  the  swift  canal,  which  boasts  three  tunnels, 
one  a  mile  long.  It  was  a  very  picturesque  sight  to  see 
the  torch-lit  sampans  shooting  down  or  being  pulled  up 
by  side-ropes  through  the  darkness,  and  to  the  swing  of 
wild  echoing  chants,  the  pink  and  red  paper  lanterns 
glowing  fitfully  in  the  darkness  like  the  underground 
journey  in  King  Solomon's  Mines.  Monday,  we  came 
down  to  Kobe,  in  spite  of  a  tremendous  record-breaking 
flood,  which  had,  however,  prevented  our  getting  to  Go- 
temba  from  where  the  ascent  of  Fuji  is  usually  under- 
taken. From  Kobe,  I  shipped  home  my  purchases  and 
such  things  as  I  didn't  need,  through  my  friend,  Mr. 
Eeinecke,  of  the  Asiatic  Export  and  Import  Company. 
It  is  cheaper  this  way,  as,  being  in  no  hurry  for  the  things, 
I  told  him  to  wait  until  he  had  a  regular  consignment  for 
Cleveland  (which  he  has  every  few  months)  and  send 
mine  along.  Father  will  receive  a  notification  when  they 
arrive,  and  the  customs  and  shipping  dues  must  be  paid 
at  Cleveland.  I  have  paid  for  the  packing.  Please  don't 
open  all  the  bundles,  as  most  of  them  are  presents  which 
I  wish  to  have  the  pleasure  of  showing  to  you  all  for  the 
first  time  myself;  but  I  should  like  to  have  you  take  out 
my  Jiu  Jitsu  suit,  which  is  in  a  blue  bag  marked  A.S.M., 
and  have  it  washed -as  it  was  soaked  with  perspiration 
when  packed. 


36  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

Tuesday,  we  were  entertained  again  by  Mr.  Inangaki,  at 
his  beautiful  summer  villa  near  Suma.  He  presented  us 
all  with  another  set  of  specially  hand-painted  silk  fans. 
That  same  night,  Ted,  Johnnie,  Gil,  and  I  took  a  coasting 
boat  down  through  the  Inland  Sea,  reaching  here  about 
six  the  next  evening.  I  stayed  up  on  deck  until  after 
midnight,  as  there  was  a  glorious  full  moon,  and  also  got 
up  early  for  the  sunrise.  As  the  Inland  Sea  is  prover- 
bially the  most  beautiful  sheet  of  water  in  the  world,  I 
shall  say  no  more  than  that  it  combines  the  Thousand 
Islands,  the  terraced  hills  of  the  Rhine,  the  great  black 
cliffs,  and  white  shingles  of  the  Maine  coast,  with  the 
sampan  and  long-shore  life  of  the  Malay  Archipelago, 
casting  over  the  whole  the  peculiar  charm  of  a  Japanese 
landscape.  Myajima  is  the  summum  bonum  of  Japanese 
scenery,  with  its  gardened  hills,  floating  temples,  and 
great  stone  Torn;  and  Gil  and  I  have  loafed  away  a 
couple  of  delightful  dreamy  days  here ;  the  others  return- 
ing at  once  to  Kioto,  from  whence  they  start  for  Vlad- 
ivostok and  Moscow.  Gil  left  yesterday  afternoon  for 
Myanoshita  (charmed  by  my  description)  and  I  shall 
start  for  Shimonoseki  today,  whence  I  go  to  Korea  and 
Manchuria.  Love  to  all,  AMASA. 

Letter  to  Samuel  Mather,  Esq.,  dated  September  fifth,  from 
Seoul,  about  Korean  plans  and  the  overland  trip  to  Mukden,  lost. 

MUKDEN,  MANCHURIA,  September  11,  1907. 
DEAR  FATHER:  Just  a  line  from  historic  Mukden.  I 
came  over  here  in  four  days  from  Seoul,  on  a  rough 
military,  narrow-gauge,  with  occasional  breaks  where  we 
had  to  ferry,  if  a  river,  or  walk  and  have  our  baggage 
carried  by  coolies,  if  over  mountains.  The  scenery  was 
fine;  splendid,  clear-cut,  jagged  mountains,  and  deep 
shadowy  gorges.  My  fellow  passengers  were  chiefly 
coolies  and  soldiers,  no  foreigners  after  the  first  day  with 
a  Russian  war  correspondent,  whose  name  is  in  my 
diary,  but  which  I  will  not  give  here,  as  I  have  no  special 


one]  STEAMSHIP  KAIPING  37 

grudge  against  you.  Mukden  is  fine,  with  its  dirty  inner 
city,  surrounded  by  the  great  wall,  towers,  and  gateways, 
and  pulsing  with  life  and  vivid  color. 

I  have  been  out  over  the  battle-field,  to  the  old  palace, 
and  to  the  Ming  Tombs  (of  the  same  dynasty  as  those 
outside  Peking).  There  are  some  mighty  fine  chaps  here 
at  our  consulate,  where  I  have  been  most  of  the  time: 
Straight  (Cornell  '00),  and  Marvin  (Harvard  '05),  whose 
place  at  Groton  Dick  Danielson  is  taking.  We  had  a  nice 
little  party  last  night,  and  serenaded  the  German  Lega- 
tion, where  we  dine  tonight.  I  start  for  Peking  early  to- 
morrow morning,  where  I  am  already  two  days  overdue, 
to  meet  Gil. 

In  coming  over  the  mountains  we  had  an  accident  - 
two  cars  derailed  and  the  truck  was  broken.  I  explained 
by  diagram  to  our  handsome  young  cavalry  officer,  how 
they  could  get  the  car  off  the  truck,  by  using  ties  as  levers, 
and  the  foreman  and  engineer  fixed  the  break  in  a  couple 
of  hours.  I  have  had  to  carry  all  my  food  and  blankets 
(as  bedding),  for  the  last  four  days,  and  my  Thermos 
bottle  comes  in  very  handy  for  cold  beer.  I  am  quite  all 
right  again  now,  though  a  bit  soft.  Lovingly, 

AMASA. 

ON  BOARD  THE  STEAMSHIP  KAIPING,  bound  for  Shang-hai, 
October  14,  1907. 

DEAR  FATHER:  I  don't  quite  know  how  it  happened 
that  I  haven't  written  you  for  so  long  (though  I  have  sent 
lots  of  postals)  and  I  hope  my  cable  didn't  create  the  im- 
pression that  I  had  just  escaped  some  frightful  catas- 
trophe, or  barely  come  back  alive  from  the  jaws  of  death. 

I  last  wrote,  I  think,  from  Mukden.  I  had  a  mighty 
pleasant  time  there,  with  Straight  and  Marvin,  and  they 
invited  me  to  come  back  later  for  a  tiger  hunt,  combined 
with  a  trip  of  exploration  and  study,  on  which  Straight 
proposed  to  take  me  into  northern  Manchuria  (if  he  could 
get  away)  at  government  expense.  I  left  there  the  morn- 


EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 


ing  of  September  twelfth,  and  got  to  Peking  the  evening 
of  Friday,  the  thirteenth,  where  I  had  arranged  to  meet 
Gil  about  the  tenth.  In  the  event  of  any  change  of  plan 
or  delay,  he  was  to  have  wired  me  there,  care  of  our 
Embassy.  I  didn't  even  hear  from  him,  however,  until 
the  eighteenth,  nor  did  he  appear  until  the  twenty-third ; 
the  circumstances  were  as  follows :  after  a  pleasant  fort- 
night in  Japan,  he  was  just  leaving  the  Grand  Hotel  at 
Yokohama  on  September  twelfth,  intending  to  stop  on 
the  way  down  to  the  boat  he  was  taking  for  Shang-hai 
and  cable  me,  when  a  postal  card  was  handed  to  him. 
It  was  from  Warren  Powell,  the  Columbus  boy  with 
whom  I  had  climbed  Asama-yama,  saying  that  he  had 
had  a  postal  from  me  and  asking  Gil  when  I  expected  to 
be  in  Yokohama  again.  This  considerably  upset  Gil,  who 
rightly  enough  figured  on  my  being  then  in  Peking ;  so  he 
wrote  Warren  to  cable  to  his  boat  at  Kobe,  the  date  and 
contents  of  my  postal.  This  wire  received  by  Gil  at 
Kobe,  bore  out  strongly  the  theory  that  I  was  in  Japan 
again,  and  there  was  some  excuse  for  this,  as  Gil  knew 
that  I  had  no  idea  what  part  of  Japan  he  was  in,  and  so 
could  not  inform  him  of  any  such  change  of  plans.  After 
his  boat  had  left  Nagasaki,  however,  a  letter  from  Warren 
was  delivered  on  board,  saying  that  although  the  hand- 
writing of  the  postal  was  like  mine,  it  was  unsigned,  and 
he  had  since  traced  it  to  another  person.  It  was  now  too 
late  for  Gil  to  wire  me  until  he  got  to  Shang-hai  on  the 
eighteenth,  which  he  then  did,  saying  "Wire  plans."  I 
answered  ' '  Several  bully  trips.  Come  up  here.  Too  hot 
in  southern  •  China  now."  Gil  at  once  took  boat,  but 
arriving  at  Tientsin  Sunday  evening,  the  twenty-first, 
penniless,  was  unable  to  replenish  his  pocket  book  until 
Tuesday,  at  9  a.m. !  (Monday  being  a  bank  holiday)  so 
that  I,  who  had  been  anxiously  meeting  the  by-daily 
trains  from  Tientsin  for  several  days,  could  not  fold 
him  in  my  arms  until  Tuesday  night.  We  were  certainly 
glad  to  get  together,  and  do  not  expect  to  separate 


STEAMSHIP  KAIPING  41 

again  in  the  near  future.  In  the  mean  season,  I  had  been 
enjoying  (spite  of  some  anxiety  as  to  Gil's  whereabouts) 
a  most  delightful  and  not  at  all  unprofitable  two  weeks  in 
Peking.  I  had  written  Mr.  Rockhill  a  month  before,  and 
he  was  most  kind.  I  had  several  more  letters  to  Peking- 
ites,  and  Straight  gave  me  four  or  five  more  to  his  par- 
ticular pals  there,  so  that  I  met  everyone  from  Sir  Robert 
Hart  and  Dr.  Morrison  (the  two  most  eminent  men,  per- 
haps, in  all  China,  and  the  only  holders,  I  believe,  of 
the  Imperial  Peacock- Feather  Decoration)  to  all  of  our 
secretaries  and  the  very  pleasant  and  jovial  officers  of 
the  various  legation  guards.  I  was  put  up  at  the  Club, 
the  center  of  social  life  in  this  small  community,  where  I 
met  a  lot  of  pleasant  people,  English,  Americans,  French, 
Austrians,  Germans,  Russians,  etc.,  with  whom  I  played 
tennis  and  polo  and  generally  enjoyed  myself  during  the 
afternoons.  In  the  mornings  I  usually  rode  with  some  of 
our  officers,  or  other  friends,  or  else  browsed  in  Mr.  Jami- 
son's or  Dr.  Morrison's  comprehensive  libraries,  both  of 
which  I  was  granted  the  run  of.  I  dined  out  occasionally, 
or  had  tiffin  with  some  one -missionary,  banker,  engineer, 
soldier,  or  diplomat.  One  Sunday  I  picnicked  with  Dear- 
ing,  of  our  legation,  out  at  the  beautiful  Jade  Spring  Tem- 
ple in  the  western  hills,  behind  the  empress  dowager's  sum- 
mer palace.  But  the  most  interesting  part  of  my  sojourn 
in  this  ancient  capital,  was  the  long  vital  talks  with  the 
many  clever  men  who  have  been  out  here,  many  of  them 
for  more  than  thirty  years,  and  who  have  done  things: 
Rockhill,  Bland,  Dr.  Amant,  Dr.  Morrison,  Mr.  Jamison, 
Mr.  Gayley,  Fletcher,  Captain  Gulick,  Captain  Reeves, 
Mr.  McCormick  (of  the  Associated  Press),  M.  Casanave, 
and  Judge  Harvey.  Some  of  these  men  were  heroes  of 
the  1900  trouble,  and  all  can  make  a  long  night  over  an 
open  fire  go  like  a  shot.  Then  there  were  delvings  in  li- 
braries containing  almost  every  book,  pamphlet,  or  article 
written  on  things  Chinese.  There  were  tramps  about  the 
city,  long  lazy  mornings  musing  on  the  wall,  or  spent  in 


42  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

a  big  leather  armchair  in  Mr.  Jamison's  cosy  Chinese 
house,  where  I  gloated  over  An  Australian  in  China, 
China  in  Convulsion,  Village  Life  in  China,  Chinese  Char- 
acteristics, et  cetera.  Not  knowing  just  when  I  should 
leave,  I  very  carefully  and  thoroughly  '  *  did ' '  a  few  of 
the  very  best  tilings  in  Peking  during  my  first  three  days ; 
things  that  stand  on  the  pinacle  of  interest,  romance,  and 
architectural  skill:  the  Temple  of  Heaven,  the  Hall  of 
Classics,  the  Yellow  Temple,  the  Lama  Temple,  the  Con- 
fuscian  Temple,  the  Great  Observatory,  the  half-ruined 
Examination  Halls,  the  Drum  Tower,  the  Bell  Tower,  the 
British  Legation,  the  Water  Gate,  and  many  places  teem- 
ing with  associations  of  the  defense  of  1900,  or  other  inci- 
dents of  the  Boxer  trouble.  To  me  this  is  the  most 
interesting  side  of  Peking.  Nearly  everyone  is  thor- 
oughly up  on  it,  and  had  some  interesting  personal 
incident  or  exploit  to  contribute.  For  instance,  the  man 
who  was  in  the  carriage  with  Baron  Ketteler,  the  German 
ambassador,  when  he  was  murdered,  and  who  himself  ran 
half  a  mile  with  a  bullet  in  his  hip,  pursued  by  the  crowd, 
is  still  here,  and  I  have  had  a  chat  with  him.  There  are 
over  two  thousand  allied  troops  now  in  Peking,  and  they 
have  a  carefully  detailed  plan  of  defense  in  case  of  an- 
other such  affair,  the  main  points  of  which  were  described 
to  me  by  Captain  Gulick,  who  is  in  charge  of  our  one 
hundred  and  fifty  marines  and  ten  machine  guns.  There 
seems  to  be  practically  no  likelihood  of  this,  however,  the 
next  step  promising  to  be  a  more  or  less  peaceful  revolu- 
tion, this  factor  depending  upon  the  revolutionary  lead- 
ership ;  directed,  not  against  foreigners,  but  against  the 
old  regime.  It  probably  will  not  take  place  until  after  the 
old  empress  dowager  drops  off,  which  may  not  be  for 
some  time  yet,  as  she  seems  to  be  a  sort  of  Chinese  Phoe- 
nix.  Yuan  Shi  Kai  is  the  strong  man  at  present,  and  may 
attempt,  I  think,  a  personal  coup  d'etat  as  the  emperor  is 
rather  a  nonentity.  At  one  time,  he  held  the  three  most 
important  positions  in  the  empire,  namely,  the  premier- 


IN  THE  GARDEXS  OF  THE  JADE  SPRING  TEMPLE 


STEAMSHIP  KAIPING  45 

ship,  viceroy  of  Shen-si  Province,  and  commander-in-chief 
of  the  army.  This  little  incident  may  give  you  an  idea  of 
his  foresight,  ambition,  and  cunning.  During  the  Boxer 
troubles,  he  was  in  command  of  the  only  really  effective 
force  the  Chinese  had,  an  army  of  ten  thousand  men, 
drilled  by  European  officers,  and  armed  and  artilleried 
after  the  most  approved  modern  fashion.  He  received 
orders  ostensibly  from  the  head  of  the  Boxer  movement, 
but  in  reality  it  is  supposed  from  the  Grand  Old  Bird 
herself,  to  march  on  Peking  and  join  in  the  attack  upon 
the  legations.  Had  he  done  so,  there  can  be  little  doubt 
as  to  what  would  have  been  the  result ;  but  Yuan  Shi  Kai 
realized  how  terrible  would  be  the  vengeance  of  the  Pow- 
ers at  such  a  breach  of  international  good  faith,  and  did 
not  care  to  sully  his  political  name  by  being  mixed  up  in 
it,  knowing  that  from  that  time  he  would  be  a  marked  man 
in  all  the  courts  of  Europe.  He  also  knew  that  to  disobey 
the  direct  orders  which  he  had  received,  would  mean  his 
political,  if  not  his  actual  death,  at  the  hands  of  the  court 
party.  He  therefore  obeyed  orders  in  the  following  char- 
acteristic manner:  marching  his  army  upon  Peking,  at 
the  rate  of  a  mile  per  day,  and  arriving  after  the  allied 
troops,  when  all  was  over. 

Straight  kept  writing  and  telegraphing  me  to  come  back 
for  his  trip  into  Manchuria,  and  that  Fairnan  Dick,  (a 
Harvard  chap  and  friend  of  Marvin)  had  arrived,  who 
was  also  very  keen  on  the  hunting.  I  had  to  keep  putting 
him  off  from  day  to  day,  until  the  arrival  of  Gil,  whom  I 
wanted  to  bring  along,  as  this  seemed  the  best  possible 
trip  in  northern  Asia  out  of  some  half-dozen  which  had 
presented  themselves,  and  which  I  had  talked  over  with 
people  who  knew.  Straight  talks  Chinese  very  well,  and 
his  party  would  have  a  Chinese  military  escort,  and  be 
officially  entertained  wherever  it  went.  Straight  himself 
is  young  and  energetic,  full  of  fun,  fond  of  life,  but  no 
sportsman,  hence  he  wanted  Dick,  Captain  Reeves  (our 
military  attache  at  Peking),  and  me  to  go  along.  Finally, 


46  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

Marvin  and  Dick  came  down  to  Peking  to  see  me,  with  the 
news  that  Straight  would  have  to  wait  until  October 
fifteenth,  as  Mr.  Rockhill  was  going  home  that  way  on 
six  months'  leave,  and  would  inspect  his  consulate  en 
route.  Gil  had  by  this  time  arrived,  and  after  giving  him 
three  days  in  Peking  (all  too  short  a  time)  he,  Dick,  and 
I  started  off  on  a  fortnight's  trip  into  Mongolia  to  fill  in 
the  time  until  we  should  join  Straight  in  Mukden  for 
Manchuria,  I  had  got  a  very  capable  head-boy  (who  is 
with  us  now  as  servant)  from  Mr.  Rockhill,  and  he  and 
Mr.  Jamison  and  I  arranged  all  details.  We  were  bound 
for  the  Mongolian  horse-market  town  of  Kalgan.  Nobody 
knew  just  where  it  was,  how  long  it  took  to  get  there,  or 
what  the  country  was  like,  but  we  took  a  cook,  coolie, 
donkeys  and  donkey-boys,  carts  and  carters,  bedding  and 
ample  provisions,  so  that  we  were  quite  independent  of 
time  and  tide.  As  I  am  about  to  write  a  little  separate 
account  of  this  trip,  compiled  from  short  daily  notes  in 
my  diary,  I  will  say  no  more  here,  except  that  it  was  most 
successful  and  interesting.  We  worked  up  through  north- 
ern China  to  Kalgan,  just  over  the  frontier,  walking  and 
using  our  donkeys,  about  thirty-five  miles  a  day,  and  liv- 
ing on  the  fat  of  the  land.  Here  we  found  a  pleasant 
missionary,  Mr.  Sprague,  who  had  been  there  thirty  years, 
and  spoke  Mongolian.  He  took  us  up  over  the  Pass  cele- 
brated since  the  days  of  Genghis  Khan,  and  onto  the 
great  Mongolian  plateau  proper,  five  thousand  feet  high, 
a  cold,  windy,  healthy  table-land.  As  we  lost  our  carts 
for  two  days  here  in  a  snow-storm,  we  were  lucky  to  fall 
in  with  some  nomadic  Mongols  in  whose  felt  tents  we 
stayed,  sleeping  on  the  mud  floor,  wrapped  in  their  sheep- 
skins, eating  their  porridge,  mutton,  curds-and-whey,  and 
drinking  their  salted  tea.  Naturally,  in  this  intimate 
manner,  we  learned  a  great  deal  about  them.  On  return- 
ing to  Peking,  after  a  two  weeks'  absence,  we  found  that 
our  government  had  refused  to  sanction  Straight's  trip, 
which  was  therefore  declared  off.  We  could,  of  course, 


one]  HOKUTO,  FORMOSA  47 

have  arranged  one  ourselves,  to  cover  the  same  ground, 
but  it  would  have  been  nothing  like  so  comprehensive  or 
interesting,  as  we  had  not  the  facilities  nor  the  position 
which  he  had  to  make  it  so.  We  therefore,  decided  in  a 
wild,  but  I  hope  never-to-be-regretted  moment,  to  go  to 
Formosa  and  are  now  bound  for  that  lonely  isle.  I'll  bet 
you  don't  even  know  where  it  is.  I  didn't  myself  until 
yesterday.  However,  we're  off.  Lovingly,  AM. 

HOKUTO,  FORMOSA,  October  24,  1907. 

DEAR  PHID  :  Yes,  we  're  really  here.  I  know  you  didn't 
think  we'd  ever  get  here,  and  it  did  seem  a  hard  place  to 
find  -  so  small  and  out  of  the  way  -  and  between  you  and 
me  no  one  seemed  to  know  much  about  it.  However,  as 
I  think  I  said  before  (yes -I'm  sure  I  did)  "here  we 
are,"  and  here  we  mean  to  stay  until  something  exciting 
happens -we  don't  care  what -especially  as  it  proves  to 
be  a  most  excellent  place  to  save  money  in,  and  we  are 
both  behind  our  average. 

I  mailed  a  letter  to  father  from  Shang-hai  on  the 
fifteenth  of  this  month,  telling  what  we'd  been  doing,  and 
saying  that  we  expected  to  come  here.  As  I  intend  to 
write  up  our  Mongolian  trip  separately  from  my  diary, 
I  didn't  say  much  about  that  in  my  letter,  but  Gil  is  going 
to  have  a  copy  of  the  account  which  he  has  already  writ- 
ten, typewritten  and  sent  to  father,  so  that  you  can  read 
about  it  in  that  way.  .  . 

We  had  a  very  pleasant  two  days  in  Shang-hai,  which 
we  reached  by  coasting  steamer  from  Ching-Wan-Tao 
and  where  I  saw  a  good  many  pleasant  people,  among 
whom  President  and  Mrs.  Thwing  again,  Mr.  Greenough's 
nephew  (Mr.  Geoffrey  Wheelock),  and  mother's  friend, 
Mr.  Lewis,  secretary  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  Shang-hai.  I 
didn't  know  until  he  told  me  how  deeply  interested  mother 
had  been  in  this  work,  and  how  liberally  she  has  given 
towards  it.  .  . 

From  Shang-hai  we  went  to  Foochow  by  small  coasting 


48  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

steamer.  I  have  never  heard  anything  about  the  south 
coast  of  China  -  perhaps  because  all  the  big  mail  steamers 
bound  for  Hong  Kong  keep  away  out,  not  close  in  among 
the  islands  as  we  did.  We  passed  through  a  long  succes- 
sion of  almost  land-locked  seas  for  two  whole  lovely  days, 
so  thickly  do  the  beautiful  rocky  islands  fringe  the  coast 
and  break  the  dark  blue  surface  of  its  waters  with  the 
white  foam  of  their  surf.  We  consider  it  second  only  to 
the  Inland  Sea  of  Japan.  We  had  a  delightful  three  days 
at  Foochow-a  most  beautiful  semi-tropical  city,  nearly 
twice  as  large  as  Cleveland -where  we  found  many  pleas- 
ant people.  All  day  Sunday  we  loafed  about  a  big  sleepy 
Buddhist  monastery,  high  up  in  the  neighboring  hills, 
where  some  two  hundred  shaven  and  shorn  monks  in  yel- 
low robes,  (many  of  them  refugees  from  justice,  Dame 
Eumor  saith)  drone  away  placid,  dreamy  lives.  Monday 
night  (October  twenty-first)  we  got  on  board  a  tiny  little 
Japanese  steamer,  the  Amoy  Maru,  six  hundred  tons,  and 
the  next  morning  started  across  the  stormy  strait  for 
Formosa.  We  had  a  beautiful  blue-and-gold  day,  how- 
ever, and  a  perfectly  glorious  full-moon-lit  night,  when 
we  sighted  the  towering  headlands  and  steamed  into  Tam- 
sui  Harbor.  There  are  only  some  thirty  foreigners  on 
the  whole  island,  but  Mr.  Arnold,  our  consul  at  Taipeh, 
the  capital  (to  whom  I  had  letters  from  mutual  friends  in 
Peking) ,  is  most  cordial  and  enthusiastic  for  our  trip  into 
the  interior,  to  visit  a  frontier  post  and  see  something  of 
the  aboriginal  tribes  and  notorious  head-hunters.  He 
took  us  up  to  his  delightful  little  bungalow  in  the  hills 
yesterday  afternoon,  and  we  are  now  idling  and  studying 
the  people  here  at  Hokuto,  a  little  Japanese  health  resort, 
where  there  are  hot  sulphur  springs  and  baths.  Our  Jap- 
anese inn  is  very  up-to-date  and  proud,  boasting  two 
European  beds,  two  tables,  and  several  chairs,  all  of 
which  we  monopolize,  being  the  only  foreign  guests.  It 
is  quite  cheap,  so  we  are  resting,  catching  up  in  our  mail, 


one]  HOKUTO,  FORMOSA  49 

laundry,  notes,  and  finances,  and  getting  ready  for  our 
trip  inland.    More  anon. 

October  25, 1907. 

This  morning  we  loafed  about,  reading,  writing,  and 
chatting  until  about  eleven  o'clock,  when  we  took  the  train 
to  Taipeh,  to  have  tiffin  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arnold,  by 
invitation.  There  was  a  Mr.  Averill  (in  the  tea  business) 
and  a  young  Harvard  chap  named  Hall  (also  in  the  tea 
business),  who  is  going  with  the  Arnolds  on  a  trip  of 
some  forty  days  all  over  the  island  (except  where  there  is 
fighting)  and  they  will  attempt  an  ascent  of  Mount  Mor- 
rison (13,800  feet),  the  highest  peak  in  the  Japanese 
empire.  We  had  a  very  pleasant  time  in  the  cool  little 
white-pillared  consulate  overhanging  the  river,  and  after 
tiffin,  Arnold  proposed  that  we  should  join  them,  at  least 
for  the  first  two  weeks  or  so,  including  the  ascent  of 
Mount  Morrison.  As  they  seemed  really  anxious  to  have 
Us,  and  it  is  too  good  a  chance  to  miss,  we  agreed,  and 
have  been  busy  since  getting  police  permission  and  escort 
and  discussing  ways  and  means  and  arranging  the  com- 
missariat department.  It  will  hardly  prove  a  money- 
saving  device,  but  will  be  the  golden  opportunity  of  a 
lifetime,  as  no  tourist  has  ever  done  this  before,  in  fact, 
it  has  only  been  attempted  by  three  parties  of  explorers 
and  government  officials.  It  will  also,  I  am  afraid,  make 
us  later  in  reaching  Singapore  and  Java,  but  will  be  a 
wonderful  chance  to  see  those  savages  who  are  not  in 
active  revolt,  and  whom  we  could  not  possibly  begin  to 
see  as  much  of,  were  we  not  traveling  with  United  States 
officials,  who  will  be  accorded  every  courtesy  and  facility 
by  the  Japanese.  We  are  certainly  getting  onto  unbeaten 
jungle-tracks  now. 

An  excellent  work  on  Formosa,  which  I  know  you  would 
all  be  interested  in  looking  through,  is  that  written  by 
United  States  ex-consul  to  Formosa,  Davidson,  F.R.G.S. 
I  have  seen  it  more  than  once,  and  gleaned  considerably 


50  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

from  its  pages,  but  have  not  bought  it,  as  it  is  too  bulky 
to  carry  around. 

We  go  back  to  Taipeh  to  make  final  arrangements  to- 
morrow, and  will  start  from  there  Sunday  morning.  I 
am  hoping  to  get  some  good  pictures  on  this  trip,  as  they 
should  prove  unique  and  interesting.  We  have  also  laid 
in  a  small,  select  stock  of  trinkets,  which  I  am  hoping  to 
trade  for  one  of  the  head-hunters'  big  knives,  or  a  net 
bag  in  which  they  carry  home  their  gory  trophies,  a  bone 
necklace,  or  such. 

As  you  can  see  by  dates,  we  are  sadly  behind  the  sched- 
ule I  left  with  father,  and  so  have  practically  decided  with 
bitter  and  '  *  compunctious  visitings  of  nature  ' '  to  cut  out 
Golden  Siam  and  Cambodia.  I  had  some  fine  letters  there 
too,  one  to  Professor  Stroebel  (the  Adviser,  Uncle  John 
Hay  sent  to  the  King  of  Siam)  from  President  Thwing, 
who  is  quite  a  friend  of  him.  Even  this  great  sacrifice, 
however,  would  only  bring  us  to  Burma,  where  we  expect 
to  meet  Purdy  and  Hervey  by  the  middle  of  December; 
and  to  Colombo,  by  January  first ;  thus  cutting  down  In- 
dia to  three  months.  When  I  started,  I  thought  we  had 
loads  of  time,  but  now  I  begin  to  realize  that  if  a  chap 
spent  a  lifetime  at  it,  he  couldn't  begin  to  do  half  the 
glorious  things  he  would  want  to,  out  in  this  many-cor- 
nered old  Orient.  Why,  just  think  of  northern  Manchuria, 
western  China,  the  Yangtse,  Tonkin,  Anam,  the  Shan 
States,  the  South  Sea  Isles,  Borneo,  Australia,  New 
Zealand,  the  Ladak,  Afghanistan,  Madagascar,  the  Congo, 
Algeria,  Persia,  Babylon,  Turkistan,  Kurdistan,  Russia, 
Bulgaria,  Bohemia,  and  the  Grecian  Peninsula,  also  Scan- 
dinavia, to  say  nothing  of  the  West  Indies,  South  Amer- 
ica and  Alaska -it  makes  me  weep !  Love  to  mother  and 
father,  and  lots  for  you,  from  your  loving  brother,  AM. 


one]  STEAMSHIP  JOSHIAN  MARU  51 

STEAMSHIP  JOSHIAN  MARU,  November  11,  1907. 
DEAR  MOTHER:  Again  upon  the  restless  bosom  of  the 
great  deep,  after  our  vagaries  and  vicissitudes  in  fair 
Formosa;  we  are  headed  at  last  for  proud  Hong  Kong- 
the  home  of  the  linen  collar  (which  we  have  riotously  es- 
chewed of  late),  the  dress  suit,  and,  as  we  hope,  of  the 
far-famed  and  long-dreamed-of  Mangosteen.  Not  only 
did  our  trip  prove  itself  a  grand  and  limelight  success, 
not  only  did  we  relish  and  roll  under  our  tongues  as  a 
sweet  morsel,  every  individual  moment  of  it -from  cold 
green  dawns,  through  hot  toiling  noon-days,  to  velvet 
starlit  nights;  not  only  has  it  eclipsed  in  interest  both 
anything  which  we  had  yet  done,  as  well  as  our  wildest 
dreams  (interest  in  the  historic,  scenic,  anthropological 
and  ethnographical  and  modern  social-problematical 
points  of  view)  but  sweet  in  our  ears  have  rung  the  ex- 
clamations of  wonder,  surprise,  and  envy  of  those  mem- 
bers of  Taipeh's  small  foreign  community,  who  did  not 
go,  for  '  *  we  were  the  first  that  ever  burst "  up  to  that 
silent  peak.  When  I  say  the  first,  I  mean  the  first  Amer- 
icans. Mount  Morrison  has  three  peaks,  and  although 
the  one  we  scaled  is  but  the  second,  being  one  hundred  feet 
lower  than  the  highest  (it  takes  two  days  more  of  hard 
climbing  from  our  peak  to  the  other,  as  there  is  no  con- 
nection) yet  only  one  party  had  preceded  us  upon  it -and 
this  a  Japanese  one,  last  year.  One  German  party  reached 
the  topmost  peak,  thirteen  thousand  eight  hundred  feet, 
and  two  Japanese.  Two  English  parties  have  tried,  but 
failed;  the  one  under  Captain  Goodfellow,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  he  stepped  into  a  savage  man-trap,  hidden  in 
the  jungle ;  and  the  other  sent  out  by  the  Royal  Geograph- 
ical Society,  owing  to  bad  weather.  These  facts  as  to  the 
paucity  of  attempts  to  climb  Mount  Morrison,  are  un- 
doubtedly correct,  since  no  one  would  think  of  undertaking 
such  an  expedition  except  as  we  did,  under  the  protection, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  the  government  of  Japan, 


52 EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS [Vol. 

who  furnished  us  with  this  information.  "We  were  there- 
fore doubly  lucky,  both  in  having  arrived  in  Formosa  just 
at  the  most  propitious  time,  and  in  having  made  friends 
with  Arnold  so  readily -and  in  the  fact  that  Arnold  was 
such  an  energetic  chap  as  to  have  undertaken  the  trip  at 
all,  and  to  have  pushed  it  through  as  he  did ;  and  that  he 
was  such  a  friend  of  the  Japanese  governor  and  the  for- 
eign secretary,  who  gave  us  all  such  hearty  assistance. 
As  Mr.  Chalmers,  the  British  consul,  and  several  other 
people  have  told  us,  no  amount  of  personal  pull  or  letters 
would  have  helped  at  all.  Arnold  is  the  only  man  in  the 
island  who  could  have  done  it,  and  it  will  probably  not 
be  done  again  for  some  time.  It  is  quite  true  that  we 
have  seen  more  of  interest  in  Formosa  in  our  month 
there,  than  people  who  have  been  there  for  three  years, 
engrossed  in  the  tea  business.  (By  the  way,  try  and  get 
some  Formosan  tea- vast  quantities  are  shipped  to  Amer- 
ica and  it  is  the  best  green  tea  I  have  ever  tasted.)  The 
fact  that  Mrs.  Arnold  reached  the  top,  will  show  you 
that  the  chief  difficulties  of  this  expedition  lay,  not  in  the 
climbing  (though  she  was,  of  course,  carried  a  great  deal, 
and  helped  over  the  steep  places)  because  the  mountain, 
being  in  the  tropics,  not  only  is  not  covered  with  ice  and 
snow  at  this  time,  but,  being  in  a  warmer  and  therefore 
a  more  protected  clime,  had  suffered  less  erosion,  than  for 
instance  the  Swiss  Mountains,  and  is  less  sheer.  The 
chief  difficulties  are  these  two:  first,  you  can  get  no  one 
to  enter  the  savage  territory  as  guides  or  porters,  conse- 
quently without  government  support  to  offer  their  border- 
police  to  accompany  us,  and  provide  whole  tribes  of  sav- 
ages (who  have  never  seen  a  white  man  in  their  lives, 
dress  in  skins,  when  they  do  dress,  and  are  always  armed) 
to  act  as  guides  and  porters,  the  thing  could  not  even  be 
planned;  secondly,  there  are  not  only  no  paths  up  the 
mountains,  but  no  paths  through  the  intermediate  jungle 
country,  and  no  Chinese  or  Japanese  villages.  A  way  had 
to  be  made,  and  here  again,  without  the  savages  (expert 


one]  STEAMSHIP  JOSHIAN  MARU  53 

bushmen)  we  would  have  been  helpless.  We  got  a  strip 
of  canvas  from  the  police,  to  use  as  a  tent,  but  it  leaked  so 
that  we  slept  either  in  the  savage  villages,  or  in  huts 
which  our  savages  built  for  us  every  night  out  of  grasses 
and  underbrush.  I  am  going  to  write  you  all  about  the 
trip  itself,  and  shall  mail  it  from  Hong  Kong  under  a  sep- 
arate cover,  so  will  say  no  more,  except  that  for  a  few 
bruises  and  scratches,  and  a  festered  toe,  we  are  quite 
well. 

We  are  just  getting  into  the  interesting  coast  town  of 
Amoy  now,  where  we  have  to  unload  a  lot  of  coolies,  and 
take  on  some  tea,  so  Gil  and  I  will  probably  have  four  or 
five  hours  ashore,  and  I  '11  finish  this  later.  We  met  Baker 
in  Foochow,  who  is  now  in  charge  of  our  Amoy  consulate 
until  the  man  sent  out  to  take  Mr.  Paddock's  place  ar- 
rives, and  so  we  shall  go  right  up  and  see  him.  He  is  a 
graduate  of  California  University.  Au  revoir. 

Monday  night,  November  11. 

We  had  a  very  pleasant  time  at  Amoy,  which  is  a 
quaint,  dirty  city,  with  a  fine,  busy,  rockbound  harbor,  but 
far  less  interesting  than  Foochow,  where  we  longed  for 
a  week,  instead  of  three  days.  We  met  several  nice  peo- 
ple here,  stayed  at  our  large  comfortable  consulate,  which 
overhangs  the  blue  waters  of  the  bay,  and  visited  with 
Baker.  I  had  a  doctor  look  at  my  toe,  which  he  says  will 
be  all  right  in  a  week  or  ten  days,  if  I  take  care  of  it,  and 
don't  walk  too  much;  so  it 's  lucky  we  are  going  to  be  on 
shipboard  so  much  in  the  near  future  -  from  here  to  Hong 
Kong,  from  Hong  Kong  to  Singapore,  and  thence  to  Java. 
I  expect  to  send  home  a  package  from  Hong  Kong,  with 
some  Christmas  remembrances,  which  I  hope  will  reach 
you  in  time.  They  make  no  pretensions  as  presents,  be- 
cause presents,  I  think,  one  should  wait  for -pick  and 
choose,  until  you  get  just  what  you  want -when  you  are 
out  here  in  a  land  where  there  is  so  much  to  choose  from. 
So  Connie  and  the  rest  must  wait  until  I  get  back  for  that, 


54  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

but  I  do  want  to  have  my  little  finger  in  our  home  Christ- 
mas pie,  so  to  speak,  and  hope  they  will  reach  you  in  good 
season.  I  wish  you,  mother,  would  unpack  everything  and 
have  some  of  the  embroidery  washed,  or  dry-cleaned,  if 
there  is  time.  The  embroidered  Chinese  cuffs  make  good 
shirtwaist  collars,  cuffs,  and  sort  of  strips  down  the  front, 
I  have  been  told.  Tomorrow  morning,  our  little  coasting 
steamer  gets  into  Swatow,  where  she  spends  the  day,  so 
I  will  finish  after  that.  Good  night. 

HONG  KONG,  November  20. 

The  day  after  writing  the  last,  I  was  taken  down  with 
malarial  fever,  and  so  have  not  been  able  to  write  any 
since.  I  was  carried  ashore  here,  and  after  tossing  about 
and  gasping  for  breath,  with  a  bad  headache,  and  tempera- 
ture of  one  hundred  and  four  degrees  for  a  few  days  at  the 
Hong  Kong  hotel,  Gil  got  me  up  to  this  cool  hospital  on  the 
"  Peak  "  (a  hill  above  the  town),  where  I  am  slowly,  but 
surely,  recovering.  The  delay  will,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  put 
us  way  behind  in  our  plans,  and  we  may  even  have  to  give 
up  Java,  as  we  have  missed  two  boats  already.  It  will 
also  mean  that  my  Christmas  packet  and  the  letters  with 
the  account  of  the  Formosan  trip  may  be  delayed.  I 
haven't  been  able  to  get  my  mail  till  today,  but  see  several 
letters  from  you  and  father  amongst  them.  Am  still  on 
my  back,  so  can't  read  them.  Your  loving  son, 

AMASA. 

P.S.  Am  sending  this  today,  instead  of  waiting  until 
I  can  write  more,  because  the  American  mail  goes  today. 
I  will  cable  home  long  before  you  get  this,  that  I  am  quite 
all  right  again.  AM. 

HONG  KONG,  November  26. 

DEAR  MOTHEB  :  Just  a  line  before  we  leave  by  a  small 
coasting  steamer  for  Java,  which  we  expect  to  make  in 
about  eight  days,  it  being  shorter  than  to  go  to  Singapore 
and  change  there.  We  leave  in  about  an  hour.  I  seem  to 


one] STEAMSHIP  TJIBODAS 55 

be  all  right  again,  though  I  have  lost  twenty-five  pounds, 
and  feel  distinctly  "  feathery."  I  have  been  down  in 
Hong  Kong  a  whole  day,  doing  odds  and  ends,  and  expect 
that  these  eight  days  on  the  ocean,  recuperating,  will  set 
me  up  in  fine  shape.  I  haven't  had  time  yet  to  finish  my 
account  of  our  Formosan  trip,  so  will  send  it  from 
Batavia. 

I  sent  two  packages  by  parcel  post  (letter  rates)  today, 
containing  the  Christmas  trifles  I  spoke  of.  The  enclosed 
cards  will,  I  think,  explain  them  sufficiently. 

I  was  awfully  glad  of  your  many  letters,  which  are  just 
what  I  like,  giving  all  the  details  of  home  life  and  telling 
me  what  you  are  all  doing.  I  have  all  yours  up  to  number 
eight,  and  two  from  father  dated  August  twenty- seventh 
and  September  second,  also  one  containing  a  magazine 
account  of  a  hunt  in  Africa,  which  I  muchly  enjoyed,  and 
one  with  the  papers  about  my  450  rifle.  It  has  reached 
me  here  at  last !  Lovingly,  AMASA. 

ON  BOARD  THE  STEAMSHIP  TJIBODAS,  December  2,  1907. 
DEAR  FATHER  :  I  finished  today,  and  shall  mail  to  you 
from  Batavia,  in  several  numbered  envelopes,  the  account 
of  our  ascent  of  Mount  Morrison,  and  the  trip  into  the 
interior  of  Formosa.  Although  it  is  pretty  long  (yet  I 
don't  feel  that  I  said  nearly  all  that  I  could  or  should,  or 
that  I  have  really  done  the  trip  justice)  I  should  be  very 
much  obliged  if  you  would  have  two  typewritten  copies 
of  it  made.  One,  I  should  like  to  keep,  not  because  I 
fondly  imagine  that  any  literary  or  intrinsic  merit  at- 
taches itself  to  the  account,  or  because  the  expedition  was 
anything  extraordinary,  when  compared  with  the  great 
pioneer  work  of  hundreds  of  explorers,  but  because  I  feel 
that  it  will  always  stand  out  of  the  perspective  of  my  life, 
as  one  of  its  most  unique  and  interesting  events.  Gil  and 
I  are  going  to  exchange  our  accounts,  since  they  dovetail 
pretty  well,  each  making  the  other  more  valuable  by  giv- 
ing facts  which  the  other  left  out,  and  treating  matters 


56  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

from  a  different  viewpoint,  so  I  will  ask  you  to  send  the 
second  copy  to  Gil's  father,  Gilbert  M.  Stark,  Esq.,  1027 
Michigan  Ave.,  Saginaw,  Michigan.  I  am  very  sorry  that 
my  fever  prevented  my  writing  the  thing  up  sooner, 
partly  on  the  steamer  from  Tam-sui  to  Hong  Kong,  and 
partly  at  the  latter  place,  as  I  had  planned,  since  I  could 
then  have  given  you  a  fuller  and  more  vivid  account,  be- 
fore the  emotions  and  enthusiasm  had  had  time  to  cool ; 
and  yet,  not  being  written  up  from  day  to  day,  it  would 
be  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  whole  trip,  people  and 
country,  instead  of  a  constantly  changing,  if  not  partially 
false  series  of  impressions.  Also,  as  I  was  still  very 
weak,  after  getting  aboard  this  steamer,  I  did  the  writing, 
not  as  I  should  have  wished,  all  at  once  in  a  natural 
flow -or  at  least  letting  such  divisions  in  the  writing  of  it 
correspond  to  the  natural  divisions  of  the  trip,  but  in 
small  daily  allowances,  so  as  not  to  tire  myself  out  over 
it.  This  prevented,  I  am  afraid,  the  thing  from  being 
written  up  in  any  consistent  style  or  vein,  and  makes  it 
read  like  a  patchwork,  which  indeed  it  is.  However,  such 
as  it  is,  it  is  finished,  and  as  it  was  written  as  much  for 
your  and  the  family's  interest  and  amusement  as  my  own, 
I  hope  you  will  all  enjoy  the  reading  of  it  half  as  much 
as  I  did  the  doing. 

You  are  all  doubtless  wondering  why  we  are  so  far  be- 
hind in  our  schedules,  and  why  we  have  abandoned  the 
idea  of  visiting  the  Philippines  and  Indo-China  ( Siam  and 
Cambodia) .  In  answer  to  the  first,  I  will  say  that  Korea 
and  Manchuria,  which  I  had  not  originally  counted  on,  as 
well  as  Formosa,  not  only  consumed  much  of  the  time, 
putting  us  behindhand,  but  must  also  answer  the  second 
question,  since  I  feel  that  the  time  spent  there  could  hard- 
ly have  been  improved  upon.  Then  too,  my  long  delay  in 
Peking,  owing  to  Gil's  and  my  mix-up  at  that  time,  which 
I  have  already  explained,  and  my  recent  illness,  have 
much  to  do  with  it.  Besides  this,  we  did  not  give  the 
proper  values  to  distance,  which  are  much  greater  than 


one]  STEAMSHIP  TJIBODAS  57 

we  estimated  at  home.  In  other  words,  it  takes  longer 
to  get  between  points  than  we  figured  on,  and  as  connec- 
tions cannot  be  made  with  anything  like  speed  and  ac- 
curacy as  at  home,  there  are  more  delays  here.  As  to  the 
future,  we  shall  do  the  best  we  can.  We  get  to  Batavia 
December  fourth,  and  allowing  ourselves  three  weeks  in 
Java,  we  should  still  manage  to  be  in  Ceylon  by  the  first 
week  in  January.  We  are  not  omitting  Burma,  but 
simply  transplanting  it,  since  we  feel  that  it  will  be  short- 
er to  go  over  to  Rangoon  from  Calcutta  after  we  have 
worked  up  there  from  Colombo,  Madras,  and  Bombay, 
than  to  go  up  to  Eangoon  from  Singapore  and  then  down 
to  Ceylon.  This  will  give  us  January,  February,  and 
March  for  India,  Burma,  and  Kashmir,  short  enough,  but 
leaving  us  ready  for  our  Persian  trip  at  its  proper  sched- 
uled date.  Schedules,  anyway,  on  a  free,  vagabond  trip 
like  this,  should  be  more  in  the  nature  of  suggestions  and 
help  than  iron-bound  restrictions,  or  so  I  hold. 

Now,  in  regard  to  Indo-China :  we  were,  of  course,  very 
regretful  when  we  at  last  decided  we  must  abandon  our 
visit  to  these  interesting  and  distinctive  countries :  the  op- 
portunity to  see  French  colonial  administration  and 
compare  it  with  Dutch  and  English,  the  splendid  trip 
overland  from  Saigon  to  Bangkok,  and  the  wonderful 
ruins  of  the  lost  city  of  Anchor  Thorn,  with  its  great 
jungle-overgrown  temple,  the  splendid  Nakhon  Wat.  We 
obviously  hadn't  the  time  to  do  everything,  however;  our 
trips  into  Mongolia,  Formosa,  and  Persia,  I  think,  are  all 
better  than  the  Indo-China  one,  and  we  shall  see  splendid 
ruins  of  lost,  half-forgotten  cities  in  Java,  in  Ceylon,  in 
southern  India,  and  at  Persepolis,  in  Persia.  The  ques- 
tion of  the  Philippines,  however,  presents  quite  a  differ- 
ent aspect.  In  the  light  of  what  I  understood  your  wishes 
to  be  on  the  subject,  Miss  Boardman's  letter,  and  what 
other  people  have  told  me,  both  at  home  and  out  here,  the 
value  of  a  visit  to  the  Philippines  lies  solely  in  the  oppor- 
tunity to  study  American  methods  of  handling  a  tropical 


58  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

dependency,  and  to  compare  it  with  that  of  other  nations. 
"We  are  new  at  the  game,  and  many  of  them  have  had 
centuries  of  experience.  Our  policy,  methods,  recruiting 
of  the  civil  service,  status  of  the  natives,  and  many  other 
things  are  totally  different.  Are  we  justified?  Are 
we  doing  the  best  that  can  be  done?  Should  the  high 
tariff  on  sugar  and  tobacco  be  kept  up?  Are  the  Fil- 
ipinos being  truly  and  solidly  improved,  or  are  they  mere- 
ly receiving  a  temporary  veneer  of  civilization,  leaving 
all  their  racial  and  climatic  characteristics  as  they  have 
been?  Are  they  inherently  capable  of  self-government? 
These  are  the  questions,  and  many  more  like  them,  to 
which  I  feel  I  should  have  an  intelligent  answer,  and  a  de- 
cided opinion.  An  opinion,  too,  of  my  own,  based,  not  on 
hearsay,  but  on  facts,  observation  at  first  hand,  and  above 
all,  comparison.  Here  I  am,  where  I  may  never  be  again, 
in  the  Far  East,  with  the  opportunity,  not  only  of  study- 
ing my  own  country's  struggles  at  colonial  rule,  but  that 
of  many  other  nations.  There  is  comparatively  little  to 
interest  the  tourist,  the  traveler,  the  anthropologist,  the 
archeologist,  the  seeker  for  untrodden  ways,  in  the  Phil- 
ippines, but  there  is  much  to  be  gleaned  by  a  future  Amer- 
ican citizen.  Why  then,  am  I  not  there,  with  all  my 
splendid  letters,  grubbing,  probing,  questioning,  search- 
ing? Because -the  more  I  thought  over  the  matter,  and 
talked  it  over  with  Americans  I  have  met  in  Shang-hai 
and  Hong  Kong,  who  have  lived  in  the  Philippines,  or  the 
British  colonials  who  know  a  great  deal  about  our 
methods  and  our  shortcomings,  the  more  have  I  realized 
the  immensity  of  the  task.  What  is  worth  being  done,  is 
worth  being  done  well,  and  I  am  not  a  "commission." 
To  see  all  sides  of  the  question,  to  learn  what  has  been 
done,  and  what  our  statesmen  are  hoping  to  do ;  to  form 
an  opinion,  for  instance,  as  to  whether  representative  gov- 
ernment will  do  more  good  than  the  adding  of  a  colonial 
secretary  to  the  cabinet,  all  this  cannot  be  done  between 
steamers,  nor  in  a  couple  of  weeks,  nor  in  six  weeks.  I 


one] STEAMSHIP  TJIBODAS 59 

don't  want  to  be  there  such  a  short  time  that  I  shall 
simply  meet  and  talk  with  one  set  of  men;  the  officials,  or 
the  railroad  men,  or  the  planters,  or  the  military,  or  the 
clubmen  about  Manila ;  the  optimists  or  the  pessimists ;  I 
should  want  to  gather  in  something  from  them  all,  and 
sift  it  myself,  making  not  perhaps  a  patchwork  of  opin- 
ion, so  much  as  a  mosaic  or  a  composite  photograph. 
Now,  I  didn't  fully  realize  this  until  I  got  to  Shang-hai, 
about  October  fifteenth.  To  go  to  the  Philippines  then, 
for  two  or  three  months,  meant  too  great  a  sacrifice  of 
other  things.  If  it  ever  falls  to  my  lot  to  have  anything 
specific  to  do  with  the  Philippines,  or  in  the  shaping  of 
our  Philippine  policy,  I  shall  make  a  special  trip  there. 
Until  then,  I  shall  satisfy  myself  by  reading  some  excel- 
lent and  comprehensive  books  on  the  subject  which  I  have 
gotten  hold  of  here,  written  by  men  and  commissions  who 
went  out  especially  to  study  and  to  compare,  and  such 
particular  information  as  will  be  supplied  me  by  several 
people  in  Manila,  to  whom  I  had  letters,  and  to  whom  I 
shall  write  for  this  particular  information.  Now  since 
the  Philippines  are  a  United  States  dependency,  the  col- 
lecting of  facts  about  what  has  been  done,  will  always  be 
a  mere  arm-chair  process  -  writing  to  the  proper  people 
and  looking  up  reports ;  nor  is  the  undertaking  of  a  spe- 
cial journey,  armed  with  letters  to  the  right  men -those 
who  can  help  one  most  to  see  on  the  spot  how  things  are 
done,  and  what  the  future  policy  will  be  -  nor  is  this  be- 
yond the  range  of  possibility,  nor  fairly  easy  probability. 
But  on  the  other  hand,  opportunities  to  study  and  learn 
the  colonial  methods  and  policies  of  inexperienced  Japan 
(in  Formosa  and  Korea)  and  such  time  honored  veterans 
as  England  (in  Hong  Kong,  the  Straits  Settlement,  Bur- 
ma, Ceylon,  India,  the  Shan  States,  East  Africa,  etc.), 
Holland  (in  Java  and  Sumatra),  and  Germany  (in  Tsin 
Tau  and  German  East  Africa),  Italy  (in  Somaliland), 
and  France  (in  Tonkin,  Cambodia,  Anam,  Madagascar, 
and  northern  Africa)  will  not  again  be  so  easy  of  attain- 


60 EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS [Vol. 

merit.  This  will  probably  be  our  only  chance,  but  having 
once  gotten  this  knowledge  in  the  best  way -personal 
observation  -  and  clinching  matters  by  a  perusal  of  the 
authorities  upon  these  colonies  and  dependencies,  we  will 
always  have  it  at  our  service  for  the  highly  valuable  pro- 
cess of  comparing  their  successes  with  our  possible  mis- 
takes. In  the  Philippines  we  decided  not  to  follow  the 
guidance  of  others,  but  to  settle  all  problems  for  our- 
selves. Education  was  to  be  the  keynote,  and  it  was  a 
new  one  for  the  Far  East.  The  future  alone  will  show 
whether  we  shall  succeed.  This,  then,  is  my,  so  to  speak, 
'  *  Philippine  Defense ' '  or  reasons  for  not  going  there. 
I  can  hardly  hope  that  they  will  meet  with  your  entire 
approval,  but  I  do  hope  that  I  have  expressed  myself 
sufficiently  clearly  for  you  to  appreciate  my  point  of 
view.  In  a  word -not  time  to  do  it  as  it  should  be  done- 
a  fact  which  I  realized  too  late  to  modify  my  plans  ac- 
cordingly. 

In  regard  to  myself,  I  am  slowly  getting  stronger 
every  day.  I  eat  well,  sleep  well,  and  spend  the  whole 
day  on  deck,  reading,  writing,  dreaming,  or  chatting  from 
the  depths  of  a  great  steamer  chair.  Except  for  a  Japan- 
ese lady  (taking  some  pearl  divers  down  to  her  husband 
in  the  Celebes)  who  has  been  frequently  seasick,  and 
keeps  much  to  herself,  Gil  and  I  are  the  only  passengers, 
so  that  we  have  as  much  attention  as  though  on  our  own 
yacht.  Captain  Schwarz  is  a  capital  fellow,  speaking 
English,  French,  German,  and  Malay,  besides  Dutch.  He 
is  much  traveled,  a  sort  of  natural  philosopher,  a  vegeta- 
rian, and  a  believer  in  * '  the  system  of  natural  cure  for  all 
diseases."  He  has  a  great  many  interesting  things  to 
say,  a  fresh  personal  point  of  view,  and  a  Victor  Talking 
Machine,  with  a  fine  selection  of  classical  records,  so  that 
we  frequently  enjoy  Caruso,  Planc.on,  Scotti,  Sembrich, 
Melba,  and  Eames  over  our  post-prandial  cigars  on  the 
star-lit  deck.  He  has  added  much  already  to  our  existing 
knowledge  of  Java,  and  what  the  Dutch  are  doing,  and 


one] HOTEL  DBS  INDIES,  BATAVIA 61 

have  done  there ;  he  teaches  us  Malay ;  he  has  books  and 
curios  from  all  over  the  world -in  short,  he  has  been  a 
very  entertaining  and  constant  companion.  The  weather 
has  been  fine,  except  for  numerous  tropical  squalls,  which 
we  have  thoroughly  enjoyed,  along  with  the  brilliant  sun- 
sets and  new  constellations  swimming  into  our  ken,  on  the 
velvet  wings  of  night!  (I  should  have  said  "fins  of 
night.")  We  crossed  the  equator  at  ten  o'clock  this 
morning -but  I  shall  not  soliloquize  on  this  subject.  At 
daybreak  tomorrow,  we  make  a  stop  of  a  few  hours  at  the 
little  Dutch  Island  of  Billiton  (Copra,  tin,  and  pearls) 
and  on  Wednesday  morning,  December  fourth,  arrive  in 
Batavia,  where  I  shall  add  a  few  lines  and  mail  this,  along 
with  the  Formosan  account. 

HOTEL  DES  INDIES,  Batavia,  December  5,  1907. 
Batavia  is  not  the  most  interesting  city  we  have  seen, 
but  it  is  very  distinctive,  and  easily  the  most  beautiful. 
The  old  town  is  solid,  heavy,  crowded,  canaled,  and  very 
Dutch.  The  new  town  is  a  park -all  green  and  full  of 
canals,  trees,  and  flowers  -  studded  with  splendid  white 
public  buildings,  marble  clubs,  and  many  cool  spacious 
houses  of  stone  with  marble  floors  and  deep  shady  veran- 
das. We  have  tasted  many  strange  and  delightful  fruits, 
and  been  fortunate  enough  to  meet  some  very  pleasant 
people.  We  spent  this  morning  in  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting museums  it  has  been  my  lot  to  find.  The  tropical 
life  and  ease  suit  us  very  well.  We  live  practically  two 
days  in  each  twenty-four  hours,  up  at  five-thirty  or  six 
o'clock  in  the  cool  green  dawn,  to  enjoy  coffee,  fruit,  and 
a  cigarette  in  pajamas  on  our  veranda.  Then  a  bath,  a 
drive,  a  stroll,  until  breakfast  at  nine.  Riz-taefel  at 
twelve.  Then  to  bed  again  until  four,  when  a  bath,  tea, 
and  cigarette  introduce  the  second  day.  One  calls  between 
seven  and  eight-thirty.  Dinner  at  eight,  forty-five,  club- 
land, concerts,  or  the  theatre  afterwards,  then  supper,  and 
to  bed  at  midnight.  Isn't  this  a  capital  scheme  to  avoid 


62  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

the  overpowering  heat  of  equatorial  midday?  We  are 
very  much  in  love  with  Java,  and  have  worked  out  what  I 
think  will  prove  a  very  delightful  and  profitable  eighteen 
days'  tour,  with  an  allowance  for  loafing  and  possible  ad- 
ventures. There  are  here,  as  you  know,  remains  of  an  old 
and  very  splendid  civilization,  but  of  this  more,  when  we 
have  seen  and  know  more.  Lovingly,  AMASA. 

BUITENZOBG,  JAVA,  Saturday,  December  7,  1907. 
DEAR  GRANDMAMMA:  I  am  writing  this  letter  to  you 
from  the  Garden  of  Eden,  for  I  hold  Java  to  be,  not  only 
the  most  beautiful  land  I've  ever  seen,  but  almost  ideally 
perfect.  Add  to  this  the  kindly  and  beneficent  rule  of  the 
Dutch,  a  simple,  happy,  and  prosperous  little  brown  peo- 
ple, an  universal  cultivation  of  the  soil,  a  few  semi-inde- 
pendent native  states,  still  maintaining  something  of  their 
old  pageantry  and  splendor,  and  the  unequalled  ruins  and 
remains  of  an  old  and  splendid  civilization,  and  you  have 
a  faint  idea  of  what  Java,  the  * '  Garden  of  the  East ' '  is 
like.  We  arrived  in  beautiful  green  Batavia  on  Wednes- 
day, and  certainly  felt  that  our  luck  was  with  us  when  we 
learned  that  Thursday,  December  fifth,  was  the  Dutch 
Santa  Glaus  Day.  Christmas  with  them  is  a  quiet  family 
affair,  no  presents  are  given,  but  they  make  up  for  it  on 
Santa  Glaus  Day,  which,  though  particularly  devoted  to 
children,  combines  the  good  will  and  present-giving  of 
Christmastide  with  all  the  gay  frolic  and  fun  of  an  Italian 
carnival,  or  the  New  Orleans  Mardi  Gras.  Young  and 
old  lay  aside  their  cares  and  business  and  join  in  the  rev- 
elry, gayety,  and  frolic  of  the  masquerade.  We  sat  out 
all  evening,  with  some  young  naval  officers  we  had  met, 
in  a  Boulevard  Cafe  (which  might  have  been  transported 
entire  from  Paris)  sipping  sherbets  and  munching  deli- 
cate little  patisserie,  and  watching  the  passing  throng. 
Two  or  three  bands  were  playing  very  spiritedly,  and  as 
there  are  over  thirty  thousand  troops  in  the  Archipelago, 
the  military  with  their  gold  lace,  plumes,  and  clanking 


one]  BUITENZORG  63 

scabbards,  were  considerably  in  evidence.  The  avenue 
was  crowded;  native  dos-a-dos,  drawn  by  pretty  little 
Javanese  ponies,  vying  with  victorias  and  milords  rolling 
smoothly  behind  great  Australian  thoroughbreds.  Offi- 
cers, blazing  in  full  dress  uniform,  strolled  about,  inter- 
mingling with  civilians  in  evening  dress,  planters  in 
white-ducks,  boots,  and  broad  rimmed  hats,  beautifully 
gowned  ladies,  and  dark-eyed  Javanese  belles.  The  cafes 
were  crowded  with  people  sipping  coffee,  ices,  and  many- 
colored  drinks ;  confetti,  paper  streamers,  tobacco  smoke, 
music,  snatches  of  song,  and  the  gay  laughter  and  shouts 
of  crowds  of  romping  children  filled  the  soft  air.  There 
were  rich  Chinamen,  with  only  a  symbolic  wisp  of  a  pig- 
tail left,  driving  proudly  by  with  their  families,  Hindus, 
Arabs,  jolly  Jack-tars  from  the  battleships,  French,  Eng- 
lish, and  German  business  men  and  consuls,  and  back  of 
all -silent,  self-contained,  but  very  appreciative -the 
great  masses  of  Malays  and  Javanese,  in  their  many  col- 
ored sarongs,  kabyas,  and  turbans,  who  line  the  sidewalks 
and  canals.  Canals,  those  great  white  water-ways,  at 
once  the  charm  and  the  convenience  of  this  strange  city, 
which,  though  thoroughly  tropical,  is  constantly  remind- 
ing one  of  her  far  away  mother,  Holland.  Some  merry- 
makers were  in  costume,  others  carried  slapsticks  and 
bloaters,  with  which  they  belabored  the  unwary  pedes- 
trian; but  Gil  and  I  found  that  a  blow  tempered  with  a 
roguish  smile,  from  a  pair  of  bright  eyes,  which  flashed 
through  a  dainty  mask,  was  not  a  punishment  particularly 
to  be  avoided.  The  fun  was  only  less  boisterous  and  en- 
ergetic than  that  which  Aunty  Kate  and  the  family  saw  at 
New  Haven  last  Spring,  after  the  commencement  baseball 
game.  To  witness  such  a  thoroughly  continental  fete  as 
this,  framed  in  the  green  setting  of  gorgeous  Batavia, 
pulsing  with  warm  tropic  life,  was  a  contrast  which  add- 
ed fresh  interest  and  charm  to  the  brilliancy  of  the  scene. 
We  dined  the  following  night  with  a  very  pleasant  Eng- 
lishman, Mr.  Taverner,  out  here  in  the  tea  trade,  and  all 


64  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

went  to  a  Malay  theater  afterwards.  The  singing  was 
unique,  and  to  our  ears  atrocious,  but  some  gorgeous  cos- 
tumes of  their  splendid  courts  of  long  ago  were  worn,  and 
the  plot  reached  a  very  exciting  crisis.  They  had  a  trick 
of  relieving  a  tense  scene,  a  murder,  for  instance,  by  a 
sudden  burst  of  comedy  which  was  almost  Shakesperian. 
The  chief  comedian  was  one  of  the  cleverest  and  most 
amusing  wags  I  have  ever  seen,  for  though  I  couldn't 
understand  a  word,  or  gather  much  from  Taverner,  who 
speaks  Malay  quite  well,  he  kept  us  in  a  perfect  gale  of 
laughter  with  his  absurd  faces  and  droll  actions. 

This  morning,  we  came  up  here  in  spite  of  a  slight  touch 
of  dysentery,  which  is  very  weakening  to  one  who  is  still 
a  convalescent  from  malaria.  We  drove  through  the 
world-famous  botanical  gardens,  and  the  governor  gen- 
eral's deer  park  which  adjoins  it,  and  then  out  into  the 
beautiful  country  side,  the  rich  plain  of  Tjidane,  studded 
with  quaint  little  villages.  During  the  heat  of  the  day 
we  sleep;  then  comes  a  shower  about  four  to  cool  the 
air,  after  which  we  arise  and  tea  and  go  for  a  stroll ;  but 
the  * '  blazing  tropic  night ' '  is  perhaps  even  more  glorious 
than  the  golden  day.  Love  to  all,  and  most  for  you, 

AMASA. 

BUITENZOBG,  JAVA,  December  8,  1907. 

DEAR  PHID:  I  was  very  glad  to  hear  from  you,  my 
dear  fellow,  and  to  learn  about  your  truly  remarkable 
dream.  The  thing  I  couldn't  understand  about  it,  how- 
ever, was  why  no  attempt  was  made  by  a  hunter  of  such 
well  known  skill  and  reckless  daring  as  yourself,  to  quash, 
or  at  any  rate  severely  lacerate,  the  terrible  "  Furbelow." 
Armed  with  a  shaving  brush  or  an  oyster  fork,  or  a  poi- 
soned gum-drop,  you  might  have  done  wonders.  Your 
adroit  use  of  the  derby  hat  was  truly  commendable  and 
reveals  the  master  mind  beneath  it. 

I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that  Singleton  and  Doubleday 
are  all  right.  Of  course  such  persons  would  never  be 


one]  BUITENZORG  65 

tolerated  in  my  army,  but  if  you  are  satisfied  with  them, 
that  is  sufficient.  Singleton,  for  instance,  I  have  heard 
men  say,  should  be  a  good  soldier,  young  and  fiery ;  yes, 
but  when  youth  means  inexperience,  having  never  even 
been  in  a  single  skirmish,  or  seen  blood  drawn  in  anger, 
and  when  fiery  means  a  hasty  and  ungovernable  temper, 
brought  on  by  excessive  use  of  alcoholic  stimulants,  they 
are  not  what  I  call  soldierly  qualities.  Add  to  this  that 
he  is  blind  in  one  eye,  suffers  from  chronic  dyspepsia, 
neuralgia,  and  tuberculosis;  that  he  broke  his  hip  last 
spring  by  falling  off  his  dear  old  nag  during  a  parade, 
and  will  never  be  able  to  walk  again;  that  he  has  never 
been  to  school  in  his  life,  can  barely  read  and  write,  knows 
nothing  of  tactics,  military  science,  history,  geography,  or 
mathematics,  and  you  have  a  picture  of  the  man  who 
escaped  from  the  penitentiary  some  two  years  ago,  and 
now  holds  a  high  and  honorable  position  in  your  Euritan- 
ian  Army.  As  for  this  Doubleday,  well,  I  always  retire 
my  officers  on  a  pension  when  they  reach  fifty-five,  and 
although  my  arms  have  been  uniformly  successful,  still  it 
is  not  essential  that  you  should  profit  by  my  experience ; 
and  of  course  if  you  want  to  keep  a  gibbering  idiot  of 
ninety-six,  just  tottering  along  in  his  second  childhood,  if 
you  want  to  keep  him,  I  say,  in  supreme  command  of  your 
army,  why  no  one  has  a  right  to  interfere,  but!  It  is 
quite  true  that  as  a  young  man  of  twenty-three,  he  re- 
ceived a  medal  for  being  present  during  the  suppression 
of  a  street  riot,  but  he  was  only  a  sergeant  then,  and  has 
not  been  fortunate  enough  to  see  any  active  service  since. 
To  be  sure  your  system  of  promoting  everybody  every 
year  made  him  a  major-general  at  the  age  of  fifty- one, 
but  the  only  reason  you  have  kept  the  old  cripple  in  ser- 
vice for  the  last  forty-five  years  was  because  he  was  the 
one  man  in  your  army  who  had  a  bona  fide  medal,  and  be- 
cause he  looks  so  well  in  uniform.  In  the  meantime,  you 
have  given  him  so  many  of  your  own  cheap,  meaningless 
medals,  as  birthday  and  Christmas  presents,  that  they  tell 


66  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

me  the  poor  chap's  best  dress  uniform  weighs  one  hun- 
dred and  twelve  pounds.  However,  I  suppose  it  will  act 
as  a  sort  of  suit  of  chain  mail,  in  case  any  of  the  mutinous 
unpaid  soldiers  of  your  starving  ragged  army  should  try 
to  sandbag  him. 

I  am  enclosing  a  few  lines  from  a  lad  named  Akbar, 
who  seems  pretty  popular  out  here. 

Be  wary  of  the  bander- snatchers  and  the  cormorants. 
Lovingly,  AM. 

ENCLOSURE 

AGRA,  as  for  time,  I  scorn  it. 
MAJOR-GENERAL  SIR  PHILIP  MATHER, 
Commanding  the  Army  of  Euritania,  Strelsau,  Ruritania. 

SIR:  To  every  man  cometh  at  some  time  Death  the 
Destroyer.  To  you  he  will  come  very  shortly,  unless  you 
surrender  to  me,  yourself,  your  army  and  your  country. 
My  legions  are  numberless,  my  warriors  millions.  The 
huge  earth-shaking  elephant  with  the  serpent  for  his 
hand,  marches  in  my  ranks.  I  fight  with  fire  and  poi- 
soned darts.  Nature  and  the  very  elements  themselves 
are  on  my  side.  The  kings  and  princes  of  the  earth  are 
ranged  as  my  captains.  In  my  serried  ranks  the  Arab, 
the  Scythian,  the  Turk,  the  Indian,  the  Tartar,  the  Mon- 
gol, the  Shan,  the  Malay,  the  Persian,  and  the  Celestial 
wearer  of  the  pig-tail,  find  place.  Hear  then,  tremble 
and  obey,  for  to  resist  me,  is  to  court  certain  ruin  and  in- 
stant death. 

Mine  is  the  Rule  of  Might ; 

Mine  the  Appointed  Way; 
My  name  rings  through  the  Infinite ; 

My  wisdom  lives  for  aye. 
Shadow  of  God,  and  King  of  Kings, 

Before  my  matchless  Triumph  Gate 
Mankind  in  endless  pean  sings 

"  All  hail  Akbar!    Akbar  the  Great!  " 


one]  BUITENZORG  67 

BUITENZORG,  JAVA,  December  8,  1907. 
DEAR  MOTHER  :  We  came  up  here  yesterday  from  Ba- 
tavia,  and  are  enjoying  it  immensely.  The  great  feature 
is,  of  course,  the  wonderful  Botanic  Gardens  universally 
acknowledged  by  scientists,  horticulturists,  and  mere  lov- 
ers of  the  beautiful,  to  be  the  finest  in  the  world.  It  is 
large  enough  for  one  to  spend  a  delightful  half  day  driv- 
ing and  walking  through  its  shady  walks  and  avenues, 
and  beside  its  pearling  brooks  where  ' '  melodious  birds 
sing  madrigals."  There  is  in  addition  to  the  garden 
proper,  a  large  section  devoted  to  scientific  work.  Here 
experiments  are  made  on  tea  culture,  the  surest  ways  of 
killing  the  coffee  blight,  how  best  to  manure  rubber  and 
most  advantageously  to  grow  cinnamon  and  spices. 
These  and  an  hundred  other  questions  of  like  importance 
to  the  planters  who  contribute  so  largely  to  Holland's 
over-sea  prosperity,  are  being  pondered  over  by  thor- 
oughly competent  men.  The  government  has  given  them 
every  facility  for  intelligent  research  and  practical  appli- 
cation, and  has  provided  them  with  laboratories  and  hot- 
houses. We  were  divided  in  our  opinion  as  to  the  most 
beautiful  spot  in  the  garden,  sometimes  preferring  the 
view  of  the  governor's  palace  across  the  deer  park  under 
the  branches  of  the  great  banyan  trees,  sometimes  the 
ponds  of  water  lilies,  sometimes  the  cool  green  orchid 
houses,  sometimes  the  rose  gardens,  and  sometimes  the 
forest  of  giant  bamboos ;  but  we  agreed  that  the  most  im- 
pressive was  the  great  avenue  of  kanari  trees,  with  its 
interlacing  branches  and  tangled  mass  of  vines  and  bril- 
liant tropic  flowers.  Whether  seen  at  moonlight,  with  the 
dim  cathedral  light  stealing  through  its  arches,  or  in  the 
hushed  cool  of  the  green  dawn,  or  at  noon,  when  the  sun- 
shine streaming  through  the  branches  fell  with  a  splash 
of  brilliant  color  on  the  heaps  of  fallen  petals  which  stain 
the  edges  of  the  avenue  with  patches  of  orange,  purple, 
crimson,  and  gold,  it  was  soul-satisfying. 


68  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

The  view  from  our  own  little  private  veranda  at  the 
hotel,  out  across  the  rich  and  fertile  plain  of  the  rushing 
Tjidane  River,  to  where  the  dark  volcanic  mass  of  Mount 
Salak  cuts  sharply  into  the  bright  storm-cleared  air,  is 
magnificent.  At  our  feet  nestles,  amidst  its  grove  of 
palms  and  cocoanuts,  a  little  basket  village,  right  on  the 
shore  of  the  river.  Here  we  can  watch  the  pantomime 
of  simple  native  life  go  on  to  the  soft  accompaniment  of 
rustling  palm  branches.  Everything  is  as  primitive,  as 
naive  and  as  modest,  as  it  has  been  for  generations.  At 
daybreak  the  little  brown  people  come  out  of  their  toy 
houses,  yawn,  stretch,  and  take  the  first  of  many  delicious 
swims  in  the  swirling  river ;  then  gather  in  the  dewy  shade 
for  their  breakfast  of  rice  and  bananas.  Afterwards  the 
dishes  (mostly  made  of  great  tough  plantain  leaves),  bas- 
kets and  cooking  utensils,  are  washed  by  holding  them  in 
the  running  water -an  ideal  sort  of  housekeeping.  The 
men  presently  retire  up  stage,  to  do  their  daily  tasks - 
though  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  they  are  believers  in 
the  strenuous  life.  The  women  wash  clothes,  weave  bas- 
kets and  matting,  and  paint  sarongs  (the  gaudy  Javanese 
skirt) ,  while  the  children  roll  and  frolic  among  the  cocoa- 
nut,  palm,  and  banana  trees,  or  splash  for  hours  with 
their  playmate,  the  stream.  The  whole  village,  in  fact,  is 
amphibious  -  in  and  out  of  the  water  all  day  long.  Imag- 
ine this  picture  done  in  greens,  except  for  the  distant 
purple  hills,  numberless  tints  varying  from  the  pale  green 
of  the  newly  planted  rice  in  the  paddy  fields,  through  the 
richer  shade  of  the  more  mature  crop,  the  golden  greens 
of  the  cocoanuts,  to  the  dark  fronds  of  fern  and  palm, 
swaying  gently  in  the  breeze,  till  the  whole  plain  seems  to 
ripple  like  a  sea  of  green,  touched  with  gold  by  the  bril- 
liant tropic  sun.  Java,  so  far  as  we  have  seen  it,  is  more 
beautiful  than  either  Formosa  or  Japan.  Scenes  like 
this,  which  would  make  their  fortune  elsewhere,  are  quite 
the  everyday  outlook  almost  anywhere  in  Java.  More 
later. 


one]  SINDINGLAYA  69 

SINDINGLAYA,  December  9,  1907. 

Long  before  sunrise,  the  sound  of  many  voices  arose 
from  the  valley  of  the  Tjidane,  and  the  primeval  life, 
which  had  been  hushed  at  sunset,  was  resumed  with  loud 
splashings.  Salak's  fretwork  crater  stood  out  in  sten- 
ciled clearness  (8,200  feet),  forming  a  purple  background 
to  the  picture  gradually  growing  clearer  below.  Our 
kreta  (native  cart)  for  the  journey  over  the  Poentjak 
Pass,  had  been  ordered  for  half  past  six,  but  it  drove  into 
the  hotel  courtyard  and  halted  before  our  door,  long  be- 
fore that.  Breakfast  and  hot  Java  coffee  being  over,  we 
were  salaamed  into  our  equipage  and  dashed  off  with 
three  ponies  and  a  great  cracking  of  whips.  The  morn- 
ing was  cool  and  lovely,  the  road  excellent,  fringed  and 
shaded  by  a  continuous  avenue  of  trees,  whose  variety  be- 
came our  despair.  Color  is  given  to  this  fringe  by  a 
profusion  of  tropic  flowers,  among  which  I  recognized  the 
scarlet  hibiscus,  the  pale  blue  convolvulus,  the  white  waxy 
bo  flower,  sacred  to  the  Buddhist,  and  the  poinsettia. 
Palms  and  tree-ferns,  and  feathery  clumps  of  young  bam- 
boos, framed,  rather  than  hid,  wonderful  views  down 
verdure-clad  ravines  or  across  valleys  attaining  the  acme 
of  perfection  in  rice  cultivation  upon  irrigated  terraces. 
Eice  is  in  all  stages  of  cultivation  and  color,  from  the 
flooded  paddy  fields,  with  their  countless  tinkling  water- 
falls, admitting  the  precious  fluid  from  the  higher  to  the 
lower  terraces,  to  the  grain  in  the  ear,  being  reaped  by 
the  gaily  colored  butterflies  who  call  themselves  the  fem- 
ininity of  Java,  Water-buffaloes  drag  a  primitive  plow 
through  the  drenched  soil,  guided  by  an  energetic  bright 
faced  boy  '  *  lightly  clad, ' '  as  Xenophon  hath  it.  In  the 
kampongs,  or  settlements  (they  are  too  continuous  to  be 
called  villages)  of  neat  little  native  huts,  which  punctuate 
the  road,  passars  (markets)  were  being  held.  Fruit, 
vegetable,  and  flower  dealers  in  juxta-position,  with  hab- 
erdashers vending  sarongs,  turbans,  batteck  trousers  and 
fancy  scarfs.  On  the  steps  of  some  of  the  houses,  groups 


70  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

of  women  were  spinning  or  weaving  native  cloth.  About 
half  past  ten  we  halted  at  Kampong  Toegone,  to  bait  our 
pony  trio  and  harness  two  more  in  front  to  help  the  kreta 
up  the  steep  pass.  We  walked  from  here  to  the  top,  an 
hour  and  a  half,  where  there  was  a  wonderful  color- 
changing  lakelet.  This  district  is  quite  unsettled.  The 
descent  was  steep,  and  has  been  called  perilous;  we  cer- 
tainly dashed  and  swayed  along  at  a  smacking  pace.  We 
reached  this  great,  but  at  present  almost  deserted,  health- 
resort  at  one  o'clock,  and  did  excellent  justice  to  an  ample 
and  delicious  "riz-taefel"  the  universal  tiffin  in  Nether- 
lands India.  We  loafed  and  napped  until  tea  time,  after 
which,  Gil  feeling  languid,  I  took  a  long  solitary  walk 
until  dark.  The  country  is  beautiful,  the  people  pictur- 
esque and  affable,  and  I  already  have  picked  up  a  few 
Malay  words  and  can  exchange  a  pleasant  greeting  with 
passers-by.  Wherever  you  go,  and  whichever  way  you 
look,  you  see  scenes  which  anywhere  else  would  be  cele- 
brated. 

DJOKJAKARTA,  December  12. 

Tuesday  morning  we  started  in  the  beautiful  early 
morning,  and  drove  a  pleasant  two  hours  and  a  half  to 
Tjandjoer,  where  we  caught  the  daily  express  train.  All 
morning  we  traveled  across  the  rich  Preanger  Regencies 
where  the  great  plantations  are  -  wonderful  country, 
great,  broad,  highly  cultivated  valleys,  shut  in  by  moun- 
tains, most  of  them  with  the  splendid  outlines  of  old  vol- 
canoes. In  the  afternoon  we  descended  and  sped  through 
the  low  swampy  jungle-land  which  creeps  right  up  to  the 
track,  the  haunts  of  fever  and  of  snakes.  Then  out  again 
into  the  cooler,  healthy  highlands  beyond,  till  dusk 
brought  us  to  Maos,  where  the  train  stops  for  the  night. 
We  stayed  with  the  other  passengers  at  the  great  airy 
marble-floored  government  rest-house,  or  pasangrahan, 
electric  lighted,  and  with  tiled  and  showered  bath-rooms. 
We  had  a  splendid  eight-course  dinner,  pleasant  rooms, 
a  good  breakfast  at  five-thirty,  excellent  service,  and  the 


one]  DJOKJOKARTA  71 

bill  was  four  florins  ($1.60) !  The  government,  you  see, 
owns  the  railway  and  rest-houses,  and  as  tourists  are  still 
a  novelty,  we  get  everything  at  the  same  price  as  the 
officials,  soldiers,  and  planters,  for  whom  it  is  the  policy 
to  make  things  cheap.  We  took  train  next  morning  at 
six  o'clock  and  got  here  at  nine- thirty,  a  most  interesting 
city  of  nearly  three  hundred  thousand  (three  hundred 
Hollanders,  perhaps),  the  capital  of  a  large  native  state 
ruled  by  a  sultan  who  boasts  a  time-honored  ancestry,  a 
splendid  kris-wearing  nobility,  and  even  yet  maintains 
considerable  state. 

Gil  has  been  feeling  badly  for  two  or  three  days,  and 
yesterday  developed  a  mild  attack  of  dysentery,  so  he 
kept  to  his  room  all  day,  and  I  stayed  with  him,  or  loafed 
around  the  interesting  streets  close  to  the  hotel.  All  the 
men  here,  except  coolies  and  common  folk,  wear  a  more 
or  less  elaborate  hilted  kris  with  curved  and  traced 
blades.  It  is  a  sign  of  gentle  blood -the  wearers  of  the 
kris  are  much  like  the  Samurai  of  old  Japan.  As  Gil  was 
much  worse  today,  we  put  off  our  trip  to  the  Baruboedoer. 
The  street  life  here  is  perfectly  delightful  -  the  bright 
dresses  and  faces  of  the  men  and  women,  the  happy  laugh- 
ter of  the  children,  bullock  carts,  great  men  on  gaily 
caparisoned  mules,  retainers  of  the  sultan,  etc.,  make  a 
never  ending  kaleidoscope  of  color  and  interest.  About 
ten  this  morning,  having  done  all  I  could  for  Gil,  and  hav- 
ing had  a  reassuring  visit  from  a  doctor,  I  drove  out 
through  the  great  walled  Kampong  of  the  sultan,  within 
which  some  seventy  thousand  of  his  people  live.  I  saw 
his  state  elephants,  his  panthers  and  hunting  leopards, 
peacocks  and  birds  of  paradise,  stable  of  Arab  barbs, 
great  courtyards  where  grow  the  lordly  banyan  trees,  and 
where  some  of  his  guards  were  lolling  about.  They  wear 
the  kris,  as  well  as  the  modern  sabre.  Many  of  the  nobles 
and  high  native  officials  have  gold-sheathed  and  jewel- 
hilted  krises.  I  spent  a  delightful  hour  wandering  about 
the  overgrown  and  half  buried  ruins  of  the  old  Water- 


72  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

kastel,  great  banquet  halls,  guard  rooms  and  sleeping 
apartments  with  carved  stone  bedsteads ;  wonderful  high 
facades  with  guarded  gateways.  The  jungle  with  its 
palms  and  ferns  and  tangled  growth  now  chokes  the 
courtyards  and  rose  gardens,  and  little  naked  Malay  boys 
were  splashing  in  and  out  from  the  many  great  stone 
basins  and  pools  of  fresh  cold  spring  water  where  the 
king  and  his  court  were  wont  to  disport  themselves  in  the 
days  of  eld.  There  are  hardly  any  English  books  on 
Java  extant,  and  some  of  these  are  mere  pamphlets  and 
steamship  company  guides,  but  none  of  them  which  I  have 
seen  have  more  than  mentioned  this  splendid  great 
Water-kastel,  with  its  gardens  and  dungeons,  its  under- 
ground passages  beneath  the  lake,  through  which  the  king 
might  flee  in  time  of  siege,  and  its  shrines  and  walls  now 
crumbling  away  into  historic  dust.  It  is  one  of  the  finest 
things  I  have  seen  so  far,  though  nothing,  I  suppose,  to 
what  we  shall  see. 

BABUBOEDOEB,  Sunday,  December  15. 
Thursday  afternoon  and  Friday  I  stayed  all  the  time 
with  Gil,  except  for  a  short  stroll  when  I  took  a  few  pic- 
tures of  the  street  life.  Yesterday  he  felt  so  much  better 
that  we  came  out  here,  a  beautiful  drive  with  a  four-in- 
hand,  through  smiling  fertile  valleys,  rich  with  corn.  TTe 
stopped  at  the  ruins  of  Mendoet  and  then  were  ferried 
across  the  river  where  we  had  arranged  for  another  car- 
riage to  meet  us  and  take  us  on  to  the  Baruboedoer.  Gil 
is  going  to  write  a  little  account  of  this  temple,  what  we 
have  learned  about  its  history  from  books  and  people, 
and  our  own  impressions,  and  I  will  send  you  a  copy  of 
it  if  you  like.  [See  appendix.]  All  yesterday  afternoon 
while  Gil  was  sleeping,  and  during  an  intermittent  drizzle, 
I  prowled  about  and  studied  the  reliefs  (of  which  there 
would  be  more  than  three  miles  were  they  all  placed  side 
by  side)  with  a  most  entertaining  young  Hollander  named 
Van  Harthooru,  a  nobleman  and  a  judge  of  the  Court  of 
Appeals  at  Soerabaya.  Early  this  morning  it  was  glori 


BARUBOEDOER  75 


ous.  Sunrise  found  us  on  the  summit  of  the  temple,  and 
as  the  day  continued  clear  and  fine,  we  spent  the  whole 
forenoon  on  the  tremendous  pile.  It  was  an  ideal  way  to 
spend  Sunday,  studying  this  great  religious  work  of  man 
in  absolute  solitude,  for  Van  Harthooru  left  early  and  we 
were  the  only  other  people  here.  The  old  Hollander  in 
charge  of  the  rest-house  is  in  a  chronic  state  of  proselyt- 
ing enthusiasm  over  it  all  and  seems  to  fairly  worship  the 
magnificent  images  of  the  calm  and  holy  Buddha.  He  says 
he  thinks  Buddhism  will  endure  on  earth  long  after  Chris- 
tianity has  materially  altered  or  vanished.  When  a  man 
reaches  the  turnstile  of  life,  I  suppose  all  the  creeds  in 
the  world  seem  wonderfully  alike  to  him.  I  shan't  at- 
tempt to  describe  it  to  you,  as  it  is  too  big  and  detailed, 
and  I  haven't  leisure  now.  Besides,  Gil  seems  just  in  the 
mood  for  it,  and  has  promised  to  do  so  this  afternoon. 
There  are  miles  and  miles  of  bas-reliefs,  pictures  from 
the  life  of  Buddha,  myths  and  scenes  of  the  times.  Those 
who  have  seen  all  say  it  is  superior  as  a  whole  to  any  of 
the  ruins  in  Egypt,  Ceylon,  or  India,  but  we  shall  have  an 
opportunity  to  judge  of  this  for  ourselves.  I  quote  a  few 
lines  from  a  work  upon  it,  by  Dr.  Groneman,  an  eminent 
archeologist  and  an  authority  on  things  Buddhistic. 

Though  the  caved  temples  of  India  may  be  more  spacious, 
and  the  Angkor  in  Kambodia  may  seem  more  imposing,  the 
Baruboedoer  is  incontestibly  more  beautiful,  owing  to  the 
unity  of  the  whole  and  the  harmony  of  its  parts,  the  grandeur 
of  the  conception  and  the  excellence  of  the  execution.  .  . 
Thirteen  hundred  years  have  rolled  over  the  Baruboedoer. 
Earthquakes  and  ash  showers  have  disjointed  its  walls,  rain 
and  rank  vegetation  have  disintegrated  its  foundations,  war 
and  vandalism  have  defaced  its  sculptures  .  .  .  but  still 
the  ruin  stands  an  imposing  fact,  a  powerful  creation  of 
the  thinking  mind,  an  epic  in  stone,  immortal,  even  in  its 
decadence. 

It  is  set  in  the  midst  of  a  broad  and  lovely  valley,  sur- 
rounded by  towering  and  striking  mountains  and  vol- 


76  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

canoes.  One,  Suenbing,  with  the  magnificent  outlines  of 
Fuji,  is  about  ten  thousand  feet  high. 

There  is  an  interesting  legend  in  connection  with  this 
ruin  for  which  one  wishes  there  were  more  foundation. 
At  the  time  of  the  Mohammedan  invasion  of  Java  about 
the  thirteenth  century,  when  the  island  had  been  entirely 
overrun,  the  last  faithful  remnants  of  the  Buddhist  faith 
took  refuge  on  their  national  shrine,  prepared  to  defend  it 
with  their  lives.  Foot  by  foot  the  furious  followers  of 
the  crescent  drove  them  up  the  carved  stairways,  guarded 
by  the  great  stone  Nagas.  Each  terrace  was  hotly  con- 
tested; each  platform  a  blood-stained  battle  ground. 
From  the  vantage  point  of  the  upper  terraces  the  defend- 
ers hurled  down  stone  carvings,  and  tore  the  heads  from 
their  gods  to  stop  the  tide  of  battle,  but  in  vain,  and  when 
night  at  last  fell,  the  crescent  moon  looked  down  upon  the 
crescent  flag  which  floated  proudly  from  the  topmost 
dagoba.  This  is  a  very  picturesque  explanation  of  the 
present  battered  condition  of  the  carvings  and  images, 
but  it  is  in  reality  undoubtedly  due  to  a  more  ordinary 
form  of  iconoclasm,  which  took  place  probably  some  years 
after  the  downfall  of  the  great  Buddhistic  Kingdom  of 
Mataram. 

A  queer  combination  or  interweaving  of  religious  leg- 
end and  architecture  is  that  made  use  of  in  the  doorways 
by  which  the  four  flights  of  stairs  leading  from  the  base 
to  the  circular  platforms  pierce  the  four  galleries.  The 
lintel  of  each  door  is  formed  by  a  huge  gaping  head,  gen- 
erally supposed  to  be  that  of  Bahu,  the  same  monster  that 
is  said  to  make  an  attempt  to  devour  the  sun  at  every 
eclipse.  Out  of  his  mouth  writhe  two  long  serpents, 
whose  pendant  bodies  form  the  sideposts  of  the  doorway, 
and  whose  heads  up-curling  at  either  side  from  the  base, 
form  the  doorposts.  These  serpents  represent  Nagas,  or 
powers  hostile  to  Buddhism,  and  Bahu,  who  is  here  seen 
crushing  them,  is  always  regarded  as  a  power  friendly  to 
Buddhism. 


one]  BATAVIA  77 

Tomorrow,  I  am  going  to  the  ruins  of  Parambanam, 
and  later,  after  meeting  Gil  in  Djokjakarta,  we  both  go  to 
the  big  plantation  of  Baron  Van  Heekeren  to  visit  this 
hospitable  Dutch  tea  planter.  Your  loving  son, 

AMASA. 

SINAGAR,  December  19,  1907. 

DEAR  Liv:  The  dream  of  my  young  life  has  been  at- 
tained. Conceive  of  Gil  and  me  living  in  and  about  the 
spacious  bungalows  of  a  great  and  prosperous  tea  planta- 
tion, guests  of  the  hospitable  and  energetic  Baron  L.  A. 
F.  H.  van  Heekeren  tot  Valien.  The  plantation  lies  in 
the  midst  of  a  great  rich  valley,  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
in  all  beautiful  Java,  and  around  it  tower  lordly  moun- 
tains -  the  sun  rises  each  morning  over  purple  Salak  and 
sets  in  gold  and  crimson  splendor  behind  the  rugged 
slopes  of  the  verdant  Gede-both  volcanoes  over  eight 
thousand  feet  high,  now  quiescent  and  gazing  dreamily 
down  into  this  Happy  Valley  of  the  Earthly  Paradise, 
where  we  lotus-eaters  are  enjoying  life.  I  am  just  going 
out  to  ride  over  the  estate  now,  and  shall  finish  later. 

BATAVIA,  December  21. 

We  rose  at, four  o'clock  this  morning,  and  had  our 
morning  plunge  in  the  great  palm-fringed  pool  which  lay 
cold  and  white  in  the  calm  glitter  of  the  full  moon.  We 
had  to  tear  ourselves  away  sooner  than  we  had  expected 
and  take  an  early  train  back  to  Batavia  in  order  to  get 
our  boat  for  Singapore.  The  usual  program  at  Sinagar 
was  to  rise  about  six,  and  after  a  cup  of  delicious  Java 
cafe-au-lait,  fruit,  and  a  cigarette,  we  would  sit  around  on 
the  great  veranda,  chatting  with  our  hosts,  and  watching 
the  pigeons,  peacocks,  and  beautiful  Arab  steeds  being 
fed  on  the  lawn  in  front  of  the  main  bungalow.  Then  we 
would  take  our  swim,  all  together  in  the  wonderful  stone 
tank  fed  by  a  clear  cold  mountain  stream  and  lying  in  the 


78  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

midst  of  thick  tropic  growth.  This  first  cup  of  coffee,  by 
the  way,  is  taken  in  pajamas,  and  if  there  are  no  ladies 
among  the  guests  (the  planters  are  all  bachelors  here)  we 
often  have  breakfast  in  the  same  convenient  attire. 
After  our  swim,  we  go  over  to  the  huge  factory,  with  the 
two  barons,  Van  Heekeren  and  Van  Orsler,  and  their 
young  assistants,  and  see  the  long  lines  of  women,  girls 
(many  of  them  rare  beauties),  and  children,  coming  in 
with  the  loads  of  young  tea  leaves,  they  have  already 
picked,  on  their  heads  to  be  weighed.  These  blossoms 
born  to  blush  unseen,  save  of  the  enraptured  planters, 
wear  the  most  rainbowed  garments  imaginable,  from  del- 
icate pinks,  lavenders,  yellows,  and  blues,  to  brilliant 
reds,  greens,  oranges,  and  purples;  all  silky,  thin,  shim- 
mery  garments.  Wonderful  combinations  of  tones  are 
often  achieved  and  flowered  jackets  of  thin  texture  are 
very  popular,  so  that  when  they  come  flashing  and  pour- 
ing into  the  vast  factory,  dumping  their  burdens  into 
great  panniers,  the  green  leaves  glistening  with  dew,  or 
wet  with  a  morning  shower,  we  have  a  wonderful  butter- 
fly kaleidoscope.  After  the  weighing,  the  process  of  fer- 
menting, rolling,  drying,  breaking,  re-rolling,  picking 
over,  sorting  and  grading,  must  be  started  and  supervised 
in  the  order  mentioned.  Then  follows  breakfast  and 
cigars,  after  which  we  get  into  cool  white  riding  gear,  and 
spend  the  rest  of  the  morning  riding  over  the  twelve 
thousand  acres  of  tea  gardens,  inspecting  and  directing 
the  work  there.  At  twelve-thirty  comes  the  riz-taefel,  an 
appetizing  meal,  the  substratum  of  which  is  a  great  dish 
of  rice,  upon  which  are  heaped  a  bewildering  variety  of 
condiments,  curries,  fritters,  vegetable  stews,  hashes,  cro- 
quettes, salads,  fruits,  bits  of  roasted  meat  and  fowl,  fish, 
bananas,  etc.,  besides  side-dishes  upon  which  are  more 
chicken  and  fish.  We  sleep  until  half-past  three,  then  an- 
other swim  and  tea,  another  inspection  of  the  factory,  and 
then  some  one  of  many  forms  of  exercise.  Then  for  two 


>   w 


BATAVIA  81 


hours  the  office  work  and  daily  mail  of  the  plantation  is 
attended  to,  Gil  and  I  reading,  taking  a  stroll  through  the 
aviary,  or  watching  the  gorgeous  sunsets.  After  dinner, 
we  linger  over  our  wine  and  cigars  on  the  veranda,  and 
listen  to  stories  and  anecdotes  of  continental  and  eastern 
life,  and  the  wonderful  hunting  tales  of  Baron  H.,  who 
has  been  a  big  game  sportsman  off  and  on  for  thirty-five 
years.  Besides  smaller  trophies,  he  has  three  rhinocer- 
oses, two  elephants,  five  tigers,  eighteen  banteng,  six 
leopards,  one  hundred  and  thirty- seven  wild  boar,  and  one 
twenty-three  foot  python  to  his  credit.  One  of  the  best 
yarns  I  have  ever  heard  was  the  story  of  how  he  got  his 
first  tiger  when  a  young  man  of  about  my  age.  The 
baron  is  a  delightful  reconteur,  and  he  made  a  very  thrill- 
ing tale  of  this  indeed,  acting  it  all  out  and  crawling 
about  among  the  chairs  as  though  he  were  in  a  jungle, 
holding  a  stick  for  a  rifle.  He  is  also  an  enthusiast  with 
both  rod  and  shot-gun,  holding  the  record  for  snipe  on  the 
island.  He  is  very  fond  of  pets  of  all  sorts,  and  the  large 
and  brilliant  aviary  running  down  the  length  of  one  of  his 
stone  verandas,  holds  egrets,  lories,  royal  crested  pigeons 
of  Borneo,  parrots,  parti-colored  parokets,  green  pigeons 
of  Sumatra,  birds  of  paradise,  and  jungle-birds  of  many 
sorts  and  colors.  In  addition,  peacocks,  pigeons,  and 
Javanese  pheasants  make  his  lawns  gay,  and  he  has  two 
Australian  wallabies  in  a  cage  nearby.  The  stable  used 
to  contain  some  ninety  horses,  and  although  the  baron 
goes  in  less  for  racing  than  he  used  to,  he  still  has  a  large 
stud.  In  our  short  visit,  we  learned  much  about  tea  cul- 
ture, and  something  more  of  the  people  from  our  visits  to 
the  baron's  clean  and  well-kept  kampongs.  He  is  the  ab- 
solute dictator,  or  '  *  Little  Father  ' '  to  the  three  and  a 
half  thousand  people  who  live  and  work  on  his  estate ;  he 
settles  everything  from  a  possible  murder,  to  petty  do- 
mestic disputes,  speaking  to  them  in  the  low  Javanese 
dialect,  while  they  answer  in  the  high,  which  is  more  hon- 
orable, at  the  same  time  uncovering  and  squatting  on 


82  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

their  heels.  This  is  not  a  compulsory  form  of  respect, 
imposed  by  the  conquering  race,  but  is  a  native  institu- 
tion, called  the  ' '  dodok, ' '  and  has  been  paid  to  the  nobles 
and  princes  of  the  land,  time  out  of  mind.  They  also,  at 
least  in  the  country,  pay  it  to  all  white  men,  as  the  supe- 
rior race,  just  as  they  pay  it  to  their  native  superiors.  A 
countryman  would  always  uncover  as  you  drive  by.  The 
baron  is  kind  and  just  to  his  people,  pays  them  well, 
judges  fairly,  looks  after  their  comfort,  taking  a  personal 
interest  in  one  and  all,  and  has  spent  much  money  on 
things  for  their  amusement:  a  cinematograph,  a  native 
theater  and  orchestra,  and  a  Victor  talking  machine  with 
some  fine  records.  They  repay  all  this  by  their  love, 
trust,  and  faithful  service.  They  have  all  grown  up  in 
his  employ,  domestics  as  well  as  field  hands,  for  he  has 
been  here  thirty-five  years,  and  the  estate  is  the  oldest  in 
Java.  One  of  his  house  boys  is  the  son  of  an  old  pirate, 
who  was  a  friend  of  the  baron.  The  plantation  is  pretty 
nearly  self-sufficient,  being  electric  lighted  by  its  own 
water  supply,  which  power  also  runs  all  the  machinery  at 
the  fabriques,  having  its  own  carpenter  shop  and  home 
grown  timber,  poultry,  cows,  sheep,  vegetables,  fruit,  tea, 
and  coffee ;  good  roads  and  buildings,  bridges  and  fences, 
are  all  built  and  kept  in  repair  by  the  baron 's  own  people. 
We  enjoyed  ourselves  most  thoroughly,  and  found  the 
baron  one  of  the  most  entertaining  and  interesting  people 
we  had  met. 

My  last  letter  to  the  family  left  us  at  the  Baruboedoer, 
which,  as  I  said,  I  cannot  properly  describe,  but  which  I 
felt  I  had  begun  to  appreciate,  and  know  something  about, 
at  the  end  of  our  three  days'  stay  there.  We  did  a  good 
deal  of  reading  about  it  in  German,  and  one  English 
pamphlet  by  Dr.  Groneman,  and  had  some  instructive 
talks  with  a  few  people  who  knew,  particularly  Captain 
Erbe,  who  is  in  charge  of  the  work  of  restoration,  and  who 
showed  me  some  splendid  photos  comparing  it  with  Anu- 
radhpura,  the  buried  city  of  Ceylon.  The  next  day,  Gil 


one]  MANDALAY  83 

being  still  weak  and  preferring  to  dream  longer  over  the 
great  temple,  I  went  out  alone  to  the  plain  of  Param- 
banam,  which  is  literally  sown  with  mins  in  all  stages  of 
decay,  but  of  a  Brahamanic  origin  and  type,  as  opposed  to 
the  Graeco-Buddhistic  Baruboedoer.  You  will  realize  a 
little  of  their  size  and  interest  when  I  say  that  one  group 
out  of  some  eight  or  ten  which  I  visited,  contained  the 
ruins  of  five  hundred  temples -mostly  small  ones,  of 
course.  The  following  day  I  met  Gil  at  Djokjokarta  and 
from  thence  we  went  to  Bandong,  a  pleasant  town  in  the 
hills,  where  the  races  are  held,  then  to  Sinagar  for  three 
days,  and  then  here.  Will  finish  this  later. 

SINGAPORE,  December  26. 

We  had  a  rather  rough  passage  over,  but  liave  en- 
joyed our  three  days'  stay  in  this  delightful  "  City  of  the 
Nations."  There  are  some  very  nice  people  here  whom 
we  met  and  spent  Christmas  with.  Christmas  eve  we 
went  to  vespers  and  midnight  mass  at  the  Catholic  Cathe- 
dral with  some  American  ladies.  It  lasted  until  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  we  went  again  to  the  church 
of  England,  Christmas  morning.  One  afternoon  I  went 
over  to  the  mainland  to  see  the  sultanate  of  Johore,  a 
pretty  little  native  state,  which  gets  fifty  per  cent  of  its 
revenue  from  the  gambling  houses  which  the  sultan  owns. 
I  had  a  successful  fling  at  fan-tan.  We  leave  this  after- 
noon on  a  very  crowded  little  boat  for  Rangoon,  via  Pen- 
ang.  Remember  me  to  Grace,  and  all,  as  ever,  AM. 

MANDALAY,  January  2, 1908. 

DEAR  MOTHER  :  I  wrote  Liv  from  Singapore,  telling  a 
little  more  of  what  we  did  in  Java,  and  finishing  with  the 
impressive  vespers  and  midnight  mass  service  celebrated 
by  the  French  Archbishop  at  the  Catholic  Cathedral.  He 
was  a  gigantic  bearded  prelate,  in  splendid  robes,  and 
conducted  the  affair  with  a  great  deal  of  ceremony.  Over 
three-fourths  of  the  congregation  were  Malays  or  Euras- 


84  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

ians.  The  Christmas  morning  service  at  the  church  of 
England  seemed  an  incongruous  sort  of  a  proceeding  with 
silk  clothes  and  sun  helmets  and  the  * '  punkhas  ' '  going. 
We  imagined  all  of  you  shivering  in  your  furs  at  Trinity 
Cathedral. 

For  at  home  they're  making  merry 

'Neath  the  white  and  scarlet  berry  - 

Let  us  honour,  0  my  brothers,   Christmas  Day! 

The  Steamship  Bharata  of  the  British  India  Line  to 
Rangoon,  was  crowded,  but  proved  quite  a  comfortable 
little  packet.  We  had  most  beautiful  clear  calm  blue 
weather ;  wonderful  opal  mornings,  and  velvet  glittering 
nights.  I  shall  never  forget  the  sunset  in  the  picturesque 
harbor  of  Penang  -  the  gorgeous  splendor  of  the  burning 
sky,  glowing  in  gold  and  crimson  embers  -  feathery  palms 
outlined  against  a  brilliant  orange  -  the  peculiarly  grace- 
ful sampans  of  the  peninsula,  skimming  here,  there,  and 
everywhere.  Except  for  the  key  in  front,  they  are  strik- 
ingly like  the  Venetian  gondolas,  and  are  propelled  by  a 
man  standing  in  the  stern,  with  a  fine,  free  swing,  but  with 
two  oars.  Add  to  this,  a  wonderful  display  of  phosphor- 
us, glowing  where  ripples  broke  the  star-floored  surface 
of  the  bay,  like  living  flame,  and  dropping  from  the  oar 
blades  in  great  globes  of  fire. 

There  were  some  pleasant  people  on  board,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Taylor,  M.P.,  of  Australia,  a  Mr.  Landfield  (Cornell,  and 
with  many  mutual  friends)  and  his  charming  wife,  a  Rus- 
sian princess.  He  has  done  considerable  big  game  shoot- 
ing. His  wife  is  also  a  good  sportswoman,  and  they  had 
much  to  say  of  their  travels  through  the  wild  parts  of 
eastern  Siberia.  Then  there  were  three  Englishmen, 
gold-miners  from  Korea,  one  Mr.  Holloway,  had  known 
Adelbert  Hay  slightly  in  South  Africa,  having  knocked 
about  all  over  the  world,  been  a  Colorado  gold  miner,  a 
cow-puncher  in  Arizona,  a  professor  of  chemistry  in 
Berkeley  College,  California,  a  soldier  in  the  South  Af- 
rican War,  and  now  a  successful  gold-miner  in  Korea, 


one]  MANDALAY  85 

where  he  is  of  sufficient  importance  to  have  been  in  charge 
of  the  British  concession.  All  his  talk  and  comments  on 
men  and  life  were  teeming  with  interest,  but  particularly 
to  me  what  he  said  of  what  he  had  actually  seen  of  the 
Japanese  methods,  policies,  and  atrocities  in  Korea.  He 
speaks  both  languages,  and  has  been  there  many  years, 
seeming  to  know  everybody.  He  told  me  that  before  the 
war  he  was  a  most  ardent  Japanese  sympathizer,  and 
used  to  give  champagne  dinners  to  all  his  Japanese 
friends  on  the  event  of  every  victory,  but  as  he  saw  how 
they  behaved  after  the  war  was  over,  how  they  broke 
faith,  deceived,  and  bullied  the  Koreans,  kept  foreign  en- 
terprise out  of  Korea  and  Manchuria,  in  spite  of  their 
promise  of  the  open  door,  on  the  plea  of  military  ex- 
igences, while  they  were  hurrying  Japanese  coolies,  trad- 
ers, and  settlers  in  as  fast  as  possible,  how  they  kept  Eu- 
rope in  ignorance  of  what  they  were  doing,  he  gradually 
developed  the  utter  hatred  and  contempt  for  them  which  I 
have  found  every  foreigner,  without  exception,  whom  I 
have  met  since  leaving  Japan,  anxious  to  air.  He  con- 
siders them  absolutely  spoiled,  a  nation  inherently  cruel 
and  thoroughly  untrustworthy,  with  no  business  or  polit- 
ical integrity.  I  have  certainly  heard  a  great  many 
tirades  against  them  by  business  men  along  the  China 
coast,  for  the  unscrupulous  way  in  which  they  plunder 
patent  rights,  seize  trademarks,  and  copy  advertisements. 
Mr.  Holloway  is  going  home  now,  partly  on  business  and 
partly  to  have  a  talk  with  the  secretary  for  foreign  af- 
fairs and  others  in  authority  at  Downing  Street,  to  repre- 
sent facts  as  they  really  are.  He  says  the  British  consul 
at  Seoul  is  a  "  trimmer  "  and  he  doesn't  believe  people  at 
home  realize  half  that  has  been  done,  or  the  treaty  would 
never  have  been  renewed.  He  was  an  eye  witness  of  the 
battle  of  Ping-yang  and  the  Yolu  Eiver,  and  told  me  a 
good  deal  about  them,  ascribing  the  Japanese  successes 
more  to  Russian  stupidity  than  to  Japanese  strategy. 
As  I  recalled  the  situation,  the  high  rugged  hills,  rising 


86  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

sheer  from  the  swift  broad  river,  I  remembered  my  own 
thought  when  crossing  it,  that  it  would  have  been  impos- 
sible for  an  army  to  force  a  passage  had  these  hills  been 
properly  fortified.  Holloway  says  that  though  the  Rus- 
sians had  plenty  of  time,  they  had  only  thrown  up  in- 
trenchments  and  mounted  a  few  guns,  and  that  but  a 
fourth  part  of  their  army  was  engaged,  although  some 
sixty  thousand  more  were  near  enough  to  have  been  em- 
ployed. 

I  also  read  a  great  deal  during  the  long  drowsy  fore- 
noons and  afternoons,  books  on  eastern  politics,  Korea, 
Burma,  the  Shan  States,  Persian  poetry,  accounts  of 
hunting  trips  in  Africa,  House  of  the  Seven  Gables,  by 
Hawthorne,  Tolstoi,  and  the  collection  of  essays  by  Mae- 
terlinck, called  The  Buried  Temple,  Tomorrow  in  the  Far 
East,  by  Douglas  Story,  Mandalay  and  Other  Cities  of 
Burma,  etc. 

At  Eangoon  we  expected  to  find  either  Purdy  and  Her- 
vey  emerged  from  their  five  months '  trip  through  central 
China,  or  at  least  some  word  of  them,  but  as  yet  we  have 
heard  nothing.  We  have  fairly  reveled  in  Burma,  as 
much  in  the  air -the  glorious,  clear,  jewel-like  atmos- 
phere -  and  the  gay  laughter-loving  people,  as  in  anything 
we  have  seen.  I  paid  a  couple  of  lazy,  dawdling  visits  to 
the  wondrous  Schwe  Dagon  Pagoda,  the  oldest  and  finest 
in  the  world,  and  got  some  splendid  snapshots,  types  of 
people,  families  coming  to  pray,  venders  of  flowers,  va- 
grant pariah  dogs,  incense  and  idols,  children,  and  monks 
in  their  yellow  robes.  Yesterday  we  came  up  here  to  the 
beautiful  City  of  Gems,  queen  of  the  spicy- smelling  silken 
east.  With  our  usual  luck,  we  have  scraped  an  acquaint- 
ance with  a  friendly  American  gold  miner  named  Bald- 
win, who  has  claims  over  in  the  Shan  States,  near  Hsipaw 
and  Lashio.  He  is  very  chummy  with  some  of  the  wild 
Shan  and  Kachin  chieftains,  and  we  are  going  to  make  a 
trip  into  that  little  known  country.  We  are  also  think- 
ing of  later  going  up  the  river  to  Bhamo  and  beyond  to 


Klephints  a-pilin'  teak  " 


ON  THE  Sen  WE  DAGON  PAGODA 


MANDALAY 


the  frontier  post  at  Myitkyina,  to  meet  Purdy  and  Her- 
vey.  I  don't  believe  they  will  be  here  for  some  weeks, 
yet,  however,  as  now  is  just  the  time  they  figured  on  get- 
ting out,  and  one  is  never  able  to  live  up  to  one's  plans  on 
such  a  long  trip  as  that ;  so  many  unf  orseen  contingencies 
arise.  We've  got  a  capital  Indian  boy  named  Hammid- 
igarry,  who  talks  Burmese,  Hindustani,  Tamil,  and  Eng- 
lish, and  says  he  is  an  excellent  cook.  We  are  also  get- 
ting an  outfit,  ponies  and  Burmese  boys,  for  our  trip  into 
Shanland,  and  are  anticipating  a  delightful  time.  More 
later. 

January  3. 

We  have  very  much  enjoyed  our  three  days  here  in 
Mandalay.  The  life  is  again  quite  different  from  that  in 
Java  and  Malaysia.  We  bathe  and  take  chota  hazri 
(tea,  toast,  and  fruit -little  breakfast)  between  six  and 
seven.  It  is  quite  pleasantly  cool  here,  except  during  the 
middle  of  the  day,  when  it  grows  very  warm,  as  we 
haven't  had  any  more  clouds  in  our  skies  since  we  have 
been  in  Burma  than  are  necessary  to  heighten  the  beauty 
of  our  sunsets.  After  chota  hazri  we  go  for  a  walk  or 
drive,  or  pay  a  visit  to  King  Theebaw's  old  palace  or  any 
of  the  numerous  beautiful  pagodas  and  richly  dight  mon- 
asteries in  the  neighborhood.  The  Arakan  Pagoda,  with 
its  great  brass  Buddha,  gold  leaf,  and  marble  turtle- 
tanks,  where  these  lovelorn  folk  bask  in  somnolent  ease, 
is  magnificent,  while  the  Royal  and  the  Queen's  Mon- 
asteries are  very  golden  and  splendid.  It  is  of  interest 
to  study  the  life  of  the  monks  there  and  about  the  city. 
Every  morning  they  go  their  rounds  with  a  fan  to  shade 
the  head,  and  the  sacred  beggar's  bowl -but  they  do  not 
have  to  beg.  It  is  accounted  a  privilege  in  topsy-turvy 
Burma,  to  give  alms  to  a  holy  man,  since  it  is  laying  up 
treasures  in  Heaven  in  the  form  of  '  *  merit. ' '  Nor  do  the 
priests  ever  ask  people  to  give  or  reproach  those  who  do 
not.  They  simply  present  the  bowl  and  say  ' '  Do  what  is 
lawful."  As  is  only  natural,  however,  what  is  given 


90  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

makes  a  good  deal  of  difference  in  the  blessing  which  they 
confer  upon  the  giver.  There  are  a  great  many  young 
boys  from  ten  to  twenty  in  attendance  upon  these  kind 
and  holy  men,  passing  through  their  period  of  noviceship. 
Every  male  in  Burma  has  to  enter  a  monastery  if  only  for 
a  few  days,  but  most  of  them  stay  long  enough  to  learn 
good  manners,  Laotze,  or  "  the  way,"  something  of  the 
law  and  sacred  writings,  and  are  taught  to  read  and  write 
a  little,  while  those  who  dedicate  their  life  to  the  work  be- 
come thoroughly  scholarly,  and  imbued  with  learning  to 
a  degree  far  beyond  our  busy  western  comprehension. 

About  ten  o'clock  we  return  to  our  bungalow  for  a 
hearty  breakfast,  and  then  either  go  out  again,  if  some- 
thing particular  presents,  or  loaf  about  the  bungalow 
reading,  writing,  or  chatting,  with  the  pleasant  people  who 
have  congregated  here  from  many  parts  of  the  world. 
Tiffin  comes  at  half  past  two,  and  after  puffing  the 
' '  whacking  big  cheroot ' '  with  which  one  named  Kipling 
has  made  Burma  famous,  it  is  cool  enough  to  visit  the 
brilliant  bazaars,  where  beautiful  butterfly  maidens  are 
laughing,  gossiping,  smoking,  and  withal  good-natured 
enough  to  pause  and  dicker  with  us  for  delicate  shot  silks, 
silver  bowls,  and  lacquer-ware.  These  Burmese  belles 
are  prettier  than  either  the  Japanese  or  the  Sundanese  of 
Java,  and  are  far  more  gaudy  birds  of  plumage  than  even 
these  latter.  Woman  has  been  constantly  striving  to 
beautify  her  toilet  ever  since  the  days  of  poor  old,  dear 
old  Mother  Eve,  but  it  is  an  open  question  whether  Paris 
or  Mandalay  can  boast  the  perfection  of  the  art.  After 
tea,  we  generally  go  somewhere  to  enjoy  the  amber  sun- 
set, either  to  the  Polo  Club,  where  a  game  is  just  being 
excitedly  concluded,  and  there  is  tea  and  a  Gurka  military 
band,  or  to  the  watchtower  overlooking  Fort  Dufferin  and 
the  palace,  or  to  Pagoda  Hill,  whence  a  splendid  view  of 
the  golden  city  and  of  the  great  shrine-studded  plain,  with 
the  wine-colored  thread  of  the  Irrawaddy  winding 
through  its  midst.  When  the  rosy  afterglow  has  left  the 


MANDALAY 


summits  of  the  lordly  Shan  Hills,  and  the  strains  of  the 
bagpipes  have  died  away,  we  return  to  the  bungalow  by 
cool  starlight  to  dress  for  eight  o'clock  dinner.  In  the 
evening  we  go  with  friends  to  a  pwe  (Burmese  drama) 
or  dancing  or  marianette  show,  or  else  Gil  reads  aloud  or 
plays  the  piano,  while  I  have  long  chess  bouts  with  an 
English  acquaintance,  the  manager  of  the  New  Mandalay 
Tram  System,  and  possessed  of  excellent  cigars  and  con- 
siderable dry  wit.  Such  is  our  simple  but  pleasant  day. 
The  air  is  tonic,  the  food  good,  we  sleep  well,  and  feel 
like  kings.  The  following  was  born  of  our  intended  trip 
into  the  Shan  hills : 

ON  THE  ROAD  FROM  MANDALAY 
Where  the  Arakan  Pagoda 

Points  the  way  with  gilded  Htee, 
There  are  Burma  girls  a-plenty 

But  they  have  no  charms  for  me. 
Something  calls  me  o  'er  the  mountains, 

Mystic  Marna  seems  to  say: 
"Leave  the  laughter-loving  Burmans, 

Take  the  road  from  Mandalay. 

'  *  Linger  not  in  Mandalay 

Where  the  magic  East  holds  sway, 
With  its  lazy,  languid  glamor 

And  its  storied  yesterday. 
Golden  sunshine,  swaying  palm  trees, 

Temple  bells  may  bid  you  stay, 
With  the  voice  of  long  past  ages : 

But  your  life  is  of  to-day." 

Where  the  Kachins  guard  the  mountains 

Towering  high  in  lordly  might, 
And  the  narrow  trail  winds  darkly 

Through  the  virgin  forest's  night. 
Where  the  tiger  and  the  savage 

Hold  the  jungle  'neath  their  sway, 


94  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

By  the  dim  untrodden  passes, 
Leads  the  road  from  Mandalay. 

On  the  road  from  Mandalay, 

Laden  camels  plodding  sway, 
Shan  and  Burrnan,  Wa  and  Tamil 

Caravans  to  far  Cathay, 
Golden  robes  of  tonsored  Poonghys, 

Hindustan  and  dark  Malay, 
All  the  nations  join  the  concourse 

Winding  north  from  Mandalay. 

NAPHA,  January  6. 

When  the  time  came  to  leave  Mandalay,  Gil  thought  he 
would  perhaps  rather  take  the  regular  tourist's  route  up 
to  Bhamo,  especially  as  he  might  get  word  of  Purdy  and 
Hervey  there  -  it  being  the  coming-out  point  of  one  of  the 
regular  trade  routes  from  Ta-li-fu,  the  more  so.  too,  since 
our  wire  for  information  to  the  British  consul  at  Teng 
Shui,  just  over  the  border,  had  met  with  no  response.  I 
accordingly  arose  at  four  o'clock  on  a  cold  Saturday 
morning,  and  took  the  train  for  Hsipaw,  intending  to 
make  arrangements  there  for  the  trip  into  the  Shan  Hills, 
leaving  Gil  to  follow  the  next  day,  if  he  could  make  up 
his  mind  what  he  wanted.  I  took  tea  before  starting,  and 
got  a  good  hot  breakfast  at  Maymyo  about  eleven.  Star- 
light gave  place  to  a  gorgeous  sunrise,  touching  the  broad 
plains  and  the  distant  mountains  with  glory  and  lighting 
the  gilded  tops  of  the  omnipresent  pagodas.  It  was  a 
wonderful  piece  of  engineering  which  enabled  the  train 
to  toil  up  the  steep  range  of  mountains  which  stand  like 
a  wall  'twixt  the  Burman  and  the  Shan.  About  two 
o'clock  we  crossed  the  deep  and  savage  Goteick  Gorge. 
There  is  a  tremendous  natural  bridge  here  of  living  rock, 
over  which  the  Pennsylvania  Steel  Company  has  thrown 
a  beautiful  single  span  bridge.  It  was  nine  o'clock  and 
very  cold  when  we  pulled  into  the  rough  native  town  of 
Hsipaw,  a  collection  of  huts,  six  bungalows  and  a  palace  - 


NAPHA  97 


for  it  is  the  capital  of  the  Shan  state  of  that  name.  The 
government,  or  ' '  Dak ' '  bungalow,  had  its  full  quota  of 
four,  and  as  there  was  no  other  accommodation,  I  slept 
in  the  train  with  a  couple  of  prospectors.  The  mist  hung 
low  and  chill  in  the  shut-in  valley  next  morning,  but  after 
spending  the  morning  with  a  pleasant  missionary  named 
Cochran,  who  has  been  here  seventeen  years  and  is  a 
walking  encyclopedia  of  things  Shan,  I  met  Baldwin.  He 
and  I  had  a  very  nice  day  talking  over  our  plans,  visit- 
ing the  bazaar  to  get  supplies,  and  a  long  call  at  the  palace 
of  the  Sawbaw,  a  friend  of  Baldwin  who  had  good  cigars, 
an  English  education,  and  thirty-seven  wives  in  his  ze- 
nana. The  place  is  very  rough  and  interesting,  much  like 
a  western  mining  town -the  only  store  being  a  few 
shelves  in  the  station  refreshment  room.  I  got  a  wire 
from  Gil  saying  that  he  was  going  to  Bhamo,  so  wired 
him  O.K.  in  turn,  and  went  ahead  to  make  plans  independ- 
ently. This  is  just  the  sort  of  thing  I  came  out  here  for, 
an  out-of-the-way  place,  where  no  tourists  have  ever 
been  and  an  opportunity  to  see  and  study  an  anthro- 
pologically important  people  while  still  in  their  native 
primitive  state.  We  may  also  get  a  bit  of  shooting  on  the 
side,  though  this  is  not  the  best  season  for  big  game,  as 
the  rains  are  just  over.  The  score  or  so  of  Europeans 
scattered  here  and  throughout  the  Shan  States  are  rough 
miners,  missionaries,  and  clean-cut  young  English  officials, 
interesting  men,  talking  the  language  and  full  of  their 
work  and  with  knowledge  to  impart.  A  drama  is  going  on 
here  at  present,  a  sort  of  local  tragedy,  one  night  only, 
barnstorming  company.  The  keeper  of  the  station  re- 
freshment room  has  been  arrested  for  bigamy,  or  perhaps 
I  should  say  trigamy,  as  he  has  three  wives,  also  a  good 
cook.  He  is  very  confident  of  getting  off,  but  as  he  has 
been  married  in  a  church  three  times  within  the  year,  and 
the  marriage  recorded  each  time,  the  betting  is  heavily 
against  him. 
I  came  up  here  yesterday  with  Baldwin,  as  he  wants  to 


EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 


buy  a  bungalow  in  Lashio,  the  capital  of  the  next  state 
to  Hsipaw.  Napha,  Mr.  Hillier 's  ranch,  is  only  ten  miles 
from  Lashio,  which  in  turn  is  connected  with  Hsipaw  and 
Mandalay  by  a  government  railway  finished  this  year. 
He  wishes  to  make  Lashio  a  center  or  base  of  operations 
for  his  mining  interests.  He  has  already  found  several 
good  tin,  copper,  coal,  and  antimony  properties,  and  is  con- 
stantly exploring  for  more.  On  my  part,  I  am  anxious 
to  see  as  much  as  I  can,  and  as  this  is  the  great  trade 
route  from  China,  several  caravans  of  mules  or  camels, 
laden  with  pickled  tea,  hides,  spices,  and  silk,  arriving 
daily,  it  is  the  best  place  to  get  hold  of  the  forty  odd  mules 
we  shall  want  for  our  expedition  into  the  jungle.  The 
object  of  this  expedition,  as  far  as  Hillier  and  Baldwin 
are  concerned,  is  for  the  latter  to  look  at  the  former's 
antimony  mine,  lying  about  one  hundred  miles  from  Hsi- 
paw over  the  hills,  and  Mr.  Cranswick,  a  young  British 
engineer,  is  going  along  to  advise  them  as  to  the  possi- 
bilities of  a  road  or  tram  system  to  connect  the  mine  (if 
bought)  with  the  railway.  I  am  simply  a  guest,  taken 
along  to  amuse  the  party,  and  supply  the  larder.  There 
is  a  beautiful  water-fall  of  about  four  hundred  feet  be- 
tween Hsipaw  and  Lashio,  which  can  be  very  well  seen 
from  the  train.  While  at  Lashio,  we  were  entertained  by 
Mrs.  Kinander,  a  charming  young  Shan  girl  with  pink 
and  white  cheeks  and  big  brown  eyes,  who  was  adopted  in 
infancy  by  Cochran,  the  American  missionary.  She  has 
been  twice  to  America  with  him,  speaks  excellent  English, 
has  recently  married  Kinander,  the  assistant  resident 
here,  bakes  scrumptious  crullers,  and  makes  a  very  jolly 
and  charming  housewife.  Here  also  I  met  young  Holmes, 
of  the  public  works  department,  who  asked  me  to  join 
him  on  an  inspection  tour  through  the  Shan  and  Wa 
States,  which  I  was  sorry  to  have  to  decline,  owing  to  its 
length.  After  tea,  Hillier  having  provided  ponies,  we 
rode  out  here  to  his  farm  to  spend  a  couple  of  days,  ford- 
ing several  swift  and  deep  streams  by  moonlight.  The 


RANGOON  101 


ranch  is  <a  large  one,  and  on  it  he  raises  ponies,  cattle,  rice, 
and  lac,  the  famous  dye  made  from  the  dead  lac  insects, 
which  infest  certain  trees  hereabouts.  Hillier  himself  is 
a  great,  robust,  bearded  six-footer,  with  a  kind  heart  and 
a  coarse  tongue.  He  has  made  and  lost  several  fortunes 
during  his  twenty  years  amongst  the  Shans ;  has  been  a 
smuggler,  a  China  fur-trader,  an  opium  fiend,  a  govern- 
ment official  very  instrumental  in  suppressing  the  numer- 
ous and  dangerous  bands  of  dacoits,  and  now  a  miner  and 
farmer.  His  bungalow  is  rather  a  ramshackle  affair,  and 
he  has  staying  with  him,  besides  Baldwin,  Kranswick,  and 
me,  a  genial  old  German  trader  named  Born,  with  whom 
I  jest  a  bit  in  the  vernacular  of  the  fatherland,  and  who, 
in  soulfelt  gratitude  at  hearing  his  native  tongue  so 
sweetly  sounded,  has  taught  me  the  lovely  Abendslied; 
and  a  Mohammedan  horse-dealer  from  Mysore,  named  Mo- 
hamed  Sheriff e,  come  to  buy  some  of  Hillier 's  ponies  for 
the  Maharajah.  With  him  I  discuss  learnedly  the  mar- 
riage problem  from  our  respective  points  of  view,  wo- 
man's true  position,  the  college  of  Pundits,  and  Mysore 
as  a  sporting  locality.  I  found  the  thrilling  Forty-one 
years  in  India  by  Lord  Roberts,  here,  and  have  been  pour- 
ing over  the  mutiny  and  the  march  to  Kandahar.  Also 
been  reading  the  classic  on  Burma,  Scott's  The  Burman, 
his  life  and  notions.  Tomorrow  we  are  going  to  ride 
over  to  some  boiling  springs  nearby,  and  then  return  to 
Hsipaw  and  start  on  our  trip. 

RANGOON,  January  18. 

I  shall  finish  this  in  a  few  terse  words,  as  it  has  dragged 
its  lengthening  chain  too  long  by  far. 

I  had  a  splendid  trip  for  a  week  or  more  and  with  a 
borrowed  gun  got  some  nice  bird  shooting  (peafowl, 
jungle-fowl,  and  blue  and  green  pigeons),  also  a  couple  of 
deer  and  three  wild  boar,  with  my  own  rifle.  The  moun- 
tains were  fine,  one  over  nine  thousand  feet  high,  the 
country  wild,  the  jungle  beautiful,  and  the  people  inter- 
esting. I  paid  a  visit  to  another  Sawbaw,  whose  queer 


102  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

little  frenchified  castle  we  found  set  incongruously 
enough  in  the  midst  of  a  primeval  jungle.  Holmes,  who 
was  with  us  for  a  while,  and  I  managed  to  get  into  his 
harem  unbeknownst,  where  we  smoked  a  friendly  cigarette 
with  its  beautiful  inmates.  When  I  got  back  to  Mandalay 
yesterday,  I  found  Purdy  there  with  Wang,  his  interpret- 
er whom  Gil  had  met  just  outside  of  Bhamo.  Hervey 
had  left  him  in  central  China,  deciding  to  strike  south  and 
come  out  in  Tonkin.  Just  like  that  crazy  vagrant -he's 
not  been  heard  from  yet.  Purdy  had  a  wonderful  trip; 
and  we  have  gloated  over  what  he  has  already  been 
able  to  tell  us  of  it.  We  celebrated  the  reunion  with  a 
champagne  dinner  in  costume,  at  the  bungalow.  Purdy 
wore  the  Chinese  costume  he  came  over  in,  Gil  was  a 
Kachin  chieftan  and  I,  a  Shan  Sawbaw.  Later  we  gave 
a  private  Pwe  in  Purdy 's  honor,  to  which  everybody  was 
invited,  in  the  courtyard  of  the  bungalow.  I  came  down 
here  alone  to-day,  and  leave  for  Calcutta  tonight,  as  I  am 
anxious  to  arrange  for  an  Indian  hunt  and  the  trip  into 
Kashmir.  Purdy  and  Gil  follow  on  Monday.  I  found 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taylor  here,  whom  we  met  in  Java,  and  who 
were  on  the  boat  with  us  coming  up,  and  they  are  going  to 
Calcutta  on  the  same  boat  with  me.  I  paid  another  visit 
to  the  Schwe  Dagon  Pagoda,  and  went  out  to  a  timber 
yard  where  I  saw  some  "  elephints  a-pilin'  teak  "  with 
uncanny  skill.  When  the  ''knock-off"  gong  sounded, 
they  dropped  their  logs  halfway  to  the  pile  and  made  a 
rush  for  the  forage  shed.  I  got  no  mail  here,  as  I  had 
wired  to  have  it  sent  on  to  Calcutta,  as  we  thought  at  one 
time  of  cutting  out  Burma.  The  Bangkok,  Colombo,  and 
Madras  mail,  will  also  have  collected  itself  at  Calcutta, 
which  is  another  excuse  for  my  hurrying  on  ahead.  1 
have  a  lot  of  letters  to  present  to  the  big-wigs  there,  and 
shall  have  to  do  a  good  deal  of  going  out  in  society,  which 
none  of  us  care  about,  but  which  I  must  go  through  with 
in  order  to  get  my  invitations  to  shoot,  as  India  is  not 
like  Africa,  where  you  arrange  your  own  expedition  and 


CALCUTTA  105 


go  anywhere  you  choose,  but  all  the  best  game  localities 
are  in  the  native  states.     Love  to  all,  AM. 

CALCUTTA,  January  24,  1908. 

To  S.  L.  MATHER:  What  ho,  you  thin  red  'Ero,  you 
blooming  life-preserver. 

That  was  certainly  a  fine  piece  of  work  your  saving  the 
life  of  that  little  boy,  and  I  wish  I'd  been  there  to  grasp 
you  by  the  hand  after  you  did  it.  The  other  day  at  din- 
ner some  one  tempted  Captain  Neilson  to  tell  how  he  got 
decorated  by  the  queen  for  pulling  a  soldier,  who  had 
fallen  off  his  boat,  out  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay  one  winter's 
night.  Playing  the  '* '  bloody  fool ' '  he  expressed  it,  but 
I  imagine  the  soldier  felt  differently  about  it.  I  assure 
you  I  was  pretty  proud  to  tell  them  that  *  *  we  had  one  in 
our  family,  too  "  ('ero  I  mean,  not  bloody  fool),  and  I 
recounted  your  exploit.  You  were  applauded  to  the  echo. 

Of  course  all  my  dreams  now  are  of  tiger.  As  you 
know,  among  quantities  of  other  books  on  the  east,  which 
I  devoured  during  the  last  two  years,  there  were  many  on 
sport,  Gordon  Cumming,  Schillings,  Selous,  Foa,  etc., 
and  I  have  been  holding  back  and  saving  up  for  India,  not 
doing  much  shooting  elsewhere  (a  bit  of  gunning  in  Mon- 
golia, Java,  and  the  Shan  States),  as  I  was  afraid,  being 
limited  in  time,  I  shouldn't  be  able  to  see  anything  of  the 
country  unless  I  sacrificed  the  one  to  the  other.  Since  I  Ve 
been  here  and  in  Burma,  I've  heard  no  end  of  tiger  stor- 
ies, not  wild  romances,  but  little  tales  of  experiences, 
natural  history,  you  might  say,  from  the  men  who  have 
done  it.  Only  last  week  a  friend  of  mine  went  out  into 
the  jungles  about  Singapore,  and  though  he  didn't  get  it, 
he  saw  a  big  fellow  and  heard  it  roaring  terribly  in  the 
jungles.  It  broke  back  through  the  line  of  beaters,  and 
killed  two  dogs.  It  was  a  thrilling  tale,  as  well  as  a  true 
one,  which  reminds  me  to  say  that  few  men  have  seen 
the  things  that  I  shall  have  seen,  and  lived  to  tell  the 
truth  about  them.  As  far  as  my  own  chances  are  con- 


106  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

cerned,  however,  I'm  afraid  they're  pretty  slim,  for  al- 
though my  letters  to  people  here,  and  my  entree  have 
gotten  me  introductions  to  some  of  the  Rajahs,  yet  it's 
very  unlikely  that  I  shall  get  an  invitation  to  shoot  on 
their  states.  Colonel  Dunlop-Smith,  Lord  Minto  's  military 
secretary,  told  me  that  though  it  was  an  exaggeration  to 
say  that  every  tiger  in  India  is  known  and  marked  down, 
yet  the  state  of  affairs  is  something  akin  to  that.  A  noble 
lord  was  out  last  year,  and  had  no  opportunity  for  tiger, 
for  which  he  had  expressly  come,  and  went  away  quite 
sick  with  disappointment.  Also  this  time  of  the  year, 
though  cooler  for  sight-seeing,  is  not  so  good  for  sport  as 
the  unbearably  hot  summer  months.  I  am  afraid  I  have 
left  behind  me  the  countries  where  tigers  are  more  easily 
obtained,  namely,  Manchuria,  Sumatra,  and  the  Malay 
Peninsula.  However,  you  never  can  tell,  as  the  poets  say, 
and  I  still  have  my  hopes.  They  have  got  a  splendid  big 
man-eater  here  in  the  Zoological  Gardens.  His  blessed 
old  fore-arm  is  as  big  as  my  head.  I  go  out  of  an  after- 
noon and  bribe  his  keeper  to  lash  him  into  a  fury,  and 
then  stand  in  front  of  his  cage  and  try  to  imagine  that 
there  are  no  bars,  and  that  he  has  come  upon  me  un- 
awares and  unarmed  in  the  jungle !  It  is  a  great  sensa- 
tion-"what  immortal  hand  or  eye,  could  frame  that 
fearful  symmetry." 

I  am  expecting  Purdy  and  Gil  here  in  a  day  or  so. 
Purdy  wanted  to  see  something  of  Burma,  and  Gil  hadn't 
had  enough,  so  I  came  ahead  to  break  ground  and  on  our 
reunion  we'll  plan  our  Indian  tour  afresh.  Heaven  alone 
knows  where  Hervey  Perrin-The  Great  Unknown— is. 
He  left  Purdy,  as  I  wrote  mother,  in  mid-China,  working 
south  and  coming  out  in  Tonkin.  When  I  reached  Ran- 
goon I  saw  by  the  hotel  register  that  he  had  arrived  there 
January  tenth  and  had  left  on  the  eleventh,  leaving  no 
word  there  or  at  his  bank,  though  he  must  have  known 
we  were  about  due  in  Burma.  You  see  there  was  a  cable 
waiting  there  for  him  saying  *  *  Be  home  March  first. 


one]  CALCUTTA  107 

Panic,"  but  I  found  that  his  bankers  had  received  an- 
other cable  for  him,  after  he  left,  reading  "  Take  three 
months."  I  think  he  got  the  first  one  in  Rangoon,  and 
started  home  as  fast  as  he  could  scamper.  He  must  have 
gone  through  Calcutta  on  a  pretty  slippery  day,  as  he 
had  not  been  heard  of  at  all  there. 

Beautiful  weather  here.  I  am  seeing  a  good  deal  of 
the  social  side  of  this  gay  and  magnificent  capital -din- 
ners, dances,  theatre  parties,  garden  parties,  lunches,  and 
numerous  snug  little  stag  affairs.  Am  feeling  very  fit 
indeed.  Love  to  Grace  and  you.  As  ever,  AM. 

CALCUTTA,  January  24,  1908. 

DEAR  PHID  :  I  was  awfully  glad  to  get  your  two  letters, 
both  of  which  reached  me  here,  though  sent  to  Bangkok 
and  Colombo  respectively.  I  have  been  dipping  heavily 
into  ancient  eastern  history  lately,  so  as  to  be  able  to  ap- 
preciate things  more,  and  you  should  do  the  same.  It  is 
more  interesting  than  any  novel  I  have  ever  read.  Try 
to  find  out,  if  you  can,  something  about  those  glorious  old 
rascals  and  terrible  warriors,  Ghengis  Khan,  Mahmud  of 
Ghazni,  Tamerlane,  Babar,  and  Akbar  the  Great.  They 
are  heroes  worthy  of  the  consideration  of  such  a  veteran 
Indian-fighter  as  yourself. 

Hurrah  for  Yale !  I  didn't  hear  about  the  Yale-Prince- 
ton and  Yale-Harvard  games  until  I  got  way  over  here. 
They  must  have  been  fine.  University  School  picked  up 
finely  at  the  end,  too,  didn't  she? 

You  and  mother  both  mentioned  in  your  letters  that 
you  hoped  I  would  wire  you  on  Christmas  Day,  so  that 
you  would  know  where  to  wire  me  in  reply.  I  did,  send- 
ing a  cable  from  Singapore,  but  received  no  answer,  and 
am  wondering  if  you  got  it.  It  is  much  cooler  here  than 
I  expected,  and  except  about  noon  one  can  wear  thin 
tweeds  with  comfort.  I  have  discarded  white  ducks,  there- 
fore, for  silks  and  tweeds.  In  the  North  -  Peshawer, 


108  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

Rawalpindi,  the  Khyber  Pass  and  Kashmir -it  will  be 
very  cold  indeed. 

I  have  been  looking  about  me  here  to  see  if  there  were 
any  new  kinds  of  lead  soldiers  for  us  to  mobilize  in  cam- 
paigns when  I  get  home,  but  haven't  seen  any,  so  shall 
wait  until  I  get  to  Germany,  and  draft  recruits  there  -  the 
home  of  the  brave  soldier  boy.  Write  often  to  your  loving 
brother,  AMASA. 

CALCUTTA,  January  25, 1908. 

DEAR  FATHER:  I  received  here  letters  nine  to  seven- 
teen, as  well  as  nineteen,  from  mother,  two  from  Phid,  one 
from  Aunty  Kate,  and  five  from  you.  Thank  you  very 
much  indeed.  The  home  news  was  like  manna.  .  . 

I'm  now  going  to  take  up  some  matters  which  mother 
spoke  about,  because  I  suppose  you  feel  the  same  way. 
First,  as  regards  the  observance  of  Sundays;  I  haven't, 
perhaps,  been  as  careful  as  I  should  have  been,  but  usu- 
ally, as  mother  surmised,  it  was  because  something  pre- 
sented itself  which  seemed  too  valuable  to  lose  (as  for 
instance,  the  old  rock  monastery  in  Foochow)  or  else  I 
wasn't  able  to  arrange  to  be  anywhere  on  Sunday  where 
there  was  a  church  service,  boats  and  trains  not  being  as 
convenient  out  here,  as  at  home,  but  where  I  have  been 
able,  I  have  gone  to  church,  i.e.,  Tokio,  Peking,  Hong 
Kong,  Singapore,  Hsipaw,  and  Calcutta. 

Second ,  in  regard  to  mission  and  Y.M.C.A.  work.  I've 
been  very  conscientious  since  leaving  Japan.  In  Seoul 
and  Mukden,  I  visited  missionaries  and  missionary  hos- 
pitals, though  I  don't  believe  I  have  mentioned  it  before. 
At  Peking  several,  and  also  saw  something  of  Y.M.C.A. 
work  under  Robert  Gayley,  of  Princeton  fame.  Dr. 
Sprague  told  us  much  of  his  work  amongst  the  Mongols. 
In  Snang-hai,  I  went  all  over  the  fine  new  Y.M.C.A.  build- 
ing with  Mr.  Lewis.  In  Foochow,  I  saw  missionaries, 
doctors,  and  teachers  in  the  college.  At  Hsipaw,  I  had 
two  days  with  a  missionary  named  Cochran,  from  whom 


one]  CALCUTTA  109 

I  learned  as  much  about  things  in  general  and  his  work, 
and  the  Shans  in  particular,  as  I  have  from  anyone.  Here 
in  Calcutta  I  have  visited  already  about  seven  branches 
of  the  Y.M.C.A.,  and  am  going  out  to  a  large  meeting 
Sunday  night.  The  Eeverend  Harland  Beach,  whom  I 
knew  quite  well  at  Yale,  helped  me  plan  my  tour  in  China 
with  his  valuable  suggestions,  and  gave  me  useful  letters, 
as  did  also  Dr.  Hume  for  India. 

Now,  as  regards  our  splitting  up -our  separations. 
There  has  never  been  the  least  feeling  about  it,  because 
we  understood  before  hand  that  that  would  be  best.  We 
intended  to  divide  into  solos  or  duets  or  trios  whenever 
we  wanted  to,  because  no  man's  tastes  are  alike,  and  we 
did  not  wish  to  feel  bound  by  any  restrictions  whatsoever. 
' '  The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth ' '  has  been  at  once 
our  motto  and  our  example.  We  are  simply  traveling 
together  in  the  same  general  route,  which  seems  to  me  a 
conclusive  proof  that  we  are  the  best  of  friends,  since 
only  the  very  closest  of  pals  would  feel  safe  in  attempt- 
ing a  program  of  this  sort.  It  is  so  much  easier  and  more 
conventional  to  arrange  to  travel  with  a  person  than  to 
travel  contemporaneously.  In  this  way  each  one  can  fol- 
low his  own  particular  bent.  We  are  constantly  re -unit- 
ing, and  having  different  tales  to  tell,  and  we  don't  get 
sick  of  each  other.  Thus  in  Japan  we  split:  Gil  and 
Hervey-Purdy  and  I.  Later  I  took  a  trip  alone,  then 
Gil,  Ted,  Johnny,  and  I  took  a  trip,  while  Purdy  and 
Hervey  were  together,  and  Wally  and  Eeese.  Purdy  and 
Hervey  presently  started  on  their  five  months'  trip  across 
China;  John,  Ted,  Wally,  and  Eeese  went  up  to  Eussia 
via  the  Trans-Siberian.  Gil  stayed  in  Japan,  and  I  went 
alone  through  Korea  and  Manchuria.  Purdy  and  Hervey 
separated  amicably  in  mid-China,  because  Hervey  thought 
it  was  getting  monotonous,  and  wished  to  see  Tonkin  and 
Cochinchina.  I  went  into  the  Shan  States  -  and  came  on 
here  ahead  to  arrange  for  the  shooting  trips  upon  which 


110  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

I  do  not  expect  the  others  will  care  to  accompany  me.  As 
a  whole,  therefore,  we  have  accomplished  far  more  than 
by  traveling  as  a  body,  and  as  units  we  have  been  much 
more  content. 

As  to  Persia,  I  wish  to  see  it  all  (take  a  pony  trip  right 
across  from  Bushire  to  Baku)  or  nothing.  I  have  been 
watching  events  closely  in  the  papers  - 1  have  talked  with 
the  Persian  consul-general  here  (whom  I  met  in  his  flow- 
ered waistcoat  at  Maharajah  Dahr  Bunga's  garden 
party)  and  I  have  asked  Colonel  Michaels,  our  consul-gen- 
eral, to  wire  in  code  to  Ambassador  Jackson  at  Teheran, 
as  to  whether  the  above  will  be  a  safe  and  feasible  trip 
at  this  time  of  unrest.  I  have  a  letter  to  Jackson  from 
Mr.  Boot,  and  Purdy  has  letters  to  the  Persian  prime 
minister  and  the  secretary  of  roads  and  conveyances,  so 
that  we  shall  be  well  taken  care  of  as  regards  escort,  etc. 
If  we  do  it,  it  should  be  one  of  the  gems  of  our  collec- 
tion-roses and  ruins,  and  a  possibility  of  brigands.  As 
regards  my  own  health,  I  never  felt  better  in  my  life. 

SUNDAY. 

It  was  quite  cool  when  I  first  got  here,  but  is  already 
getting  warmer,  and  they  say  is  terribly  hot  here  by 
March.  I  had  a  very  pleasant  trip  up  from  Rangoon- 
reading  among  other  things  a  history  of  India,  past  and 
present,  and  a  book  by  Tolstoi  on  The  Approaching  Crisis 
in  Russia,  The  End  of  the  Age,  and  Yule's  Mission  to 
Ava,  a  queer  old  book  I  picked  up  in  Mandalay.  The 
first  day  here  I  spent  shopping  and  doing  errands,  read- 
ing my  voluminous  mail,  etc.,  and  after  that,  have  been 
pulling  what  wires  I  could  to  see  if  I  can  fulfill  my 
dreams  of  the  past  two  years  and  have  a  *  *  go  "  at  a  tiger. 
I'm  afraid,  however,  that  my  chances  are  small.  I 
scarcely  realized  how  small  at  first,  thinking  that  my 
letters  to  the  Mintos  and  Lieutenant-colonel  Dun!  op- 
Smith,  the  military  secretary  at  Government  House 
would  be  open  sesames;  but  I  can  easily  see  now  that 


one] CALCUTTA 111 

they  are  not;  in  fact,  letters  seem  so  cheap  that  as  far 
as  a  chance  to  shoot  is  concerned,  I  think  I  could  ac- 
complish more  through  the  friends  and  acquaintances  I 
have  made  here.  Personally  I  dislike  presenting  letters 
of  introduction,  and  until  I  reached  here,  have  been  able 
to  meet  nearly  everyone  to  whom  I  had  letters  first,  and 
then  casually  present  the  letters  later,  as  an  additional 
asset.  Colonel  Dunlop-Smith  has  courteously  given  me 
a  letter  to  a  man  in  Assam  (good  tiger  country)  to  whom 
I  have  written,  and  has  promised  me  another  which  will 
enable  us  to  visit  any  native  state  which  we  select  -  Gwa- 
lior  or  Heyderabad  would  be  my  preference.  Shooting 
in  these  states,  however,  can  only  be  obtained  by  invita- 
tion from  the  ruler  himself.  Do  you  remember  the 
"  Magnificent  Maharajah  "  in  Miss  C alley's  Adventures? 
The  Mintos  have  been  most  kind.  I  had  the  honor  of 
lunching  there  yesterday,  sitting  next  to  Lady  FitzGerald 
with  whom  I  chatted  about  fancy  dances,  etc.,  the  craze 
having  just  struck  Calcutta  this  winter.  (I  found  a  girl 
at  a  dance  the  other  night  who  knew  "  the  Boston.") 
They,  however,  make  it  a  rule  never  to  give  letters,  espe- 
cially to  native  princes,  as  they -the  Mintos -are  over- 
whelmed with  visitors  and  requests,  and  I  had  sense 
enough  not  even  to  allude  to  the  subject.  I  have  called 
upon  the  editors  of  the  Asian  and  the  Indian  Field,  two 
sporting  weeklies,  who  gave  me  some  information.  Mr. 
Barber  is  going  to  introduce  me  to  a  famous  Nimrod 
here,  and  Colonel  Michaels  has  promised  to  present  me 
to  the  Maharajah  of  Cooch  Behar,  who  is  under  obliga- 
tions to  him. 

Government  House  is,  of  course,  a  tremendous  and 
gorgeous  palace,  with  beautiful  richly  decorated  apart- 
ments, corridors,  and  suites;  soldiers  and  flunkies  all 
about,  and  tall  handsome  A.D.C.'s  to  usher  one  hither 
and  thither.  Luckily  I  didn't  feel  at  all  flustered  when 
first  presented  because  my  frock  coat  has  grown  so  tight 
that  I  feel  very  big  and  important  in  it.  Lord  Minto 


112  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

struck  me  as  rather  insignificant,  a  "  sport,"  and  certainly 
not  a  ruler  of  remarkably  strong  character.  Indeed  from 
what  I  have  gathered,  he  is  considered  rather  weak,  hav- 
ing been  sent  out  to  take  Lord  Curzon's  place  because  of 
the  latter's  break  with  the  government  in  regard  to 
questions  of  policy  and  precedence  with  General  Lord 
Kitchener.  Lady  Minto  is  charming.  I  had  a  long  chat 
with  her  after  luncheon.  Mr.  L.  H.  Severance  is  here. 
I  met  him  with  great  surprise  at  Maharajah  Dahr  Bun- 
ga's  garden  party.  He  wears  his  whiskers  a  la  Napoleon 
Third,  and  looks  very  distingue.  He  went  into  ecstasies 
over  the  display  of  jewels  there,  which  were  the  most 
gorgeous  I  have  ever  seen.  Dahr  Bunga  is  accounted 
Number  Three  for  jewels  in  India,  having  many  of  those 
which  once  belonged  to  Shah  Jehan.  The  Nysam  of 
Heyderabad  is  reckoned  first  and  the  Gaikwur  of  Baroda 
second. 

Gil  and  Purdy  will  arrive  Tuesday,  having  had  to  take 
a  slow  boat  up  along  the  coast,  as  the  mail  steamer  was 
full  up.  I  am  going  to  give  them  a  theatre  party  when 
they  arrive,  as  it  has  been  our  first  opportunity  and  the 
tuneful  ' '  Merry  Widow  ' '  is  here.  I  have  not  been  lonely, 
as  I  have  been  busy,  and  made  many  new  friends,  besides 
finding  old  ones :  notably,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taylor,  and  Herr 
Chalier,  a  young  German  nobleman,  whom  I  met  at  Sin- 
gapore. There  is  a  witty  old  Irish  prelate  at  my  table ; 
red-faced  and  white-haired,  the  kind  you  read  about  in 
Charles  0  'M  alley.  He  enlivens  meals  very  much,  and  ex- 
plained to  me  yesterday  that  he  was  born  at  Cork.  "An* 
ye  know,  dear,  that 's  not  far  from  Blarney ! ' '  The  only 
sight-seeing  I  Ve  done  so  far  is  the  very  famous  and  in- 
teresting Museum ;  Y.M.C.A.  work ;  the  ' '  Ghats  ' '  where 
the  Hindoos  burn  their  dead  (a  painful  ceremony  to  wit- 
ness) and  the  Zoological  Gardens  where  there  is  a  splen- 
did big  "man-eater."  Also  the  new  market -spacious, 
clean  and  appetizing;  and  old  Fort  William.  I  went  to 
service  at  St.  James,  inside  Fort  William  this  morning, 


one]  CALCUTTA  113 

with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taylor.  It  was  a  parade  service,  and 
very  impressive,  as  there  were  troops  there  and  many 
notables.  Later  we  saw  a  parade  and  a  cricket  match, 
and  walked  back  through  the  beautiful  Eden  Garden. 
Tonight  I  dine  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barber,  and  tiffin  to- 
morrow with  Colonel  Michaels.  Streets  in  Calcutta  are 
most  gay  and  picturesque  -"  Tommies, "  Sepoys,  Lan- 
cers with  fluttering  pennons  and  natives  in  brilliant  col- 
ors. Love,  AMASA. 

P.S.  A  Mr.  G.  D.  Adams  of  Cleveland,  called  one  day 
when  I  was  out.  After  locating  him  at  the  Grand  Hotel, 
I  returned  the  call,  and  found  him  and  Mrs.  Adams  very 
pleasant.  He  knows  the  McBrides.  I  am  at  the  Great 
Eastern  Hotel.  My  room  is  veiy  small  and  very  dirty, 
and  I  have  to  share  the  occupancy  with  several  friendly 
rats  and  roaches.  The  table,  however,  is  very  fair. 

CALCUTTA,  January  28,  1908. 

DEAR  CON  :  I  am  enclosing  you  some  clippings  of  the 
great  Durbar  or  Investiture  which  I  was  privileged  to 
witness  last  night.  I  wish  you  would  send  them  on  to 
mother,  and  tell  her  to  keep  them  with  my  postal  cards, 
as  I  am  very  anxious  they  should  not  be  lost.  The  Indian 
Durbar  is,  I  suppose,  the  most  gorgeous  and  impressive 
ceremonial  in  the  world -as  much  of  pomp,  circum- 
stances, and  barbaric  splendor  are  employed  as  possible 
to  enhance  the  grandeur  and  majesty  of  the  British  Raj, 
for  the  Indians  love  this ;  it  partially  reconciles  them  to 
the  British  Rule,  to  feel  that  they  are  still  a  part  of  a 
great  world-empire,  as  in  the  glorious  days  of  Akbar  and 
Shah  Jehan.  Neither  these  meager  clippings,  nor  any 
pen  description  of  mine,  can  convey  to  you  a  proper  im- 
pression of  the  brilliance  and  dignity  of  the  spectacle. 
A  couple  of  regiments  of  brave  "  tommies  "  were  drawn 
up  outside  the  vast  pavilion,  as  also  a  squadron  of  Indian 
lancers,  with  curveting  chargers  and  fluttering  pennons. 
The  more  important  personages,  too,  were  escorted  to 


114  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

Government  House  by  detachments  of  lancers.  A  solid 
line  of  tall  bearded  Indian  grenadiers  extended  around 
the  inside  of  the  richly  hung  shamiana,  motionless  as 
statues,  and  holding  aloft  great  spears.  A  brilliant  as- 
semblage crowded  the  vast  interior;  distinguished  sol- 
diers and  sailors  in  gaudy  uniforms  and  medals,  gentle- 
men in  evening  dress,  and  many  in  full  court  costume 
with  knee-breeches  and  falls  of  lace  at  wrist  and  throat ; 
beautifully  gowned  ladies,  dowager  duchesses,  lords, 
rajahs,  Maharajahs,  representatives  of  all  the  nations 
in  gala  attire,  Indian  princesses  and  English  society 
belles,  companions  of  the  various  orders  in  full  regalia, 
Turks  and  Greeks,  Persians,  Chinese,  Japanese,  French, 
Russians,  Spaniards,  etc. ;  but  the  predominating  element 
was  the  military  (mostly  in  red  and  gold),  and  the  native 
nobility.  Some  of  the  young  aides-de-camps  in  attend- 
ance upon  Lord  and  Lady  Minto,  were  the  finest  speci- 
mens of  Anglo-saxon  manhood  1  have  ever  seen,  clean 
cut,  golden  haired,  bronzed  six-footers,  they  looked  like 
demigods  in  uniform;  and  as  for  the  girls -well,  all  I 
can  say  is  that  even  the  most  rapturous  English  ones, 
had  much  ado  to  hold  their  own  before  the  dark  beauty 
of  the  Indian  princesses;  while  their  brothers,  keen  as 
hawks,  reminded  me  of  the  hero  in  Kipling's  "  East  and 
West,"  who  "  looked  like  a  lance  in  rest."  Lord  Kitch- 
ener, a  big,  virile,  bronzed,  soldierly-looking  hero  was 
there  and  was  made  a  Knight  of  the  First  Order  of  the 
Star  of  India.  The  display  of  jewels,  shoulders,  silk, 
satins,  and  brocades,  gold  lace  and  medals  was  worthy 
of  the  occasion.  I  was  heartsick  that  Gil  and  Purdy 
didn't  get  here  in  time  to  see  it,  as  it's  the  finest  of  its 
kind  in  thirteen  years  (though  they  have  a  Homage  Dur- 
bar whenever  a  new  viceroy  visits  the  country).  The 
ceremonial  was  very  impressive,  particularly  so  when  a 
wild  Afghan  chieftain  so  far  forgot  himself  in  the  en- 
thusiasm of  his  loyalty,  as  to  hurl  himself  full  length  at 
the  viceroy's  feet,  instead  of  kneeling  sedately,  as  he 


one]  CALCUTTA  115 

should  have  done.  Lady  Minto  kindly  gave  me  an  in- 
vitation personally,  when  I  was  there  for  tiffin  a  few 
days  ago,  and  so  I  asked  one  for  Gil  and  Purdy;  but 
their  boat,  due  yesterday  noon,  is  not  here  yet.  .  . 
There  is  to  be  a  grand  ball  tomorrow  night,  to  which  I 
am  invited,  but  I  don't  think  I  shall  stay  for  it,  as  I  have 
already  been  waiting  ten  days  for  Gil  and  Purdy,  and  am 
anxious  to  get  up-country  and  get  some  shooting,  for 
which,  although  it  is  very  hard  to  get  here  in  India,  I 
have  received  some  alluring  invitations. 

Thursday,  January  30. 

Gil  and  Purdy  arrived  yesterday  evening  in  time  for 
my  theatre  party  and  are  leaving  tonight  for  Darjeeling. 
I  am  going  up  to  Cooch  Behar  for  a  shoot  with  the  Maha- 
rajah's son,  and  as  he  leaves  Calcutta  tomorrow  for  Cooch 
Behar,  I  may  have  to  stay  over  and  go  up  with  him  in- 
stead of  going  with  Purdy  and  Gil.  In  this  case,  I 
suppose  I  shall  go  to  the  viceroy's  ball,  which  will  be 
very  gay  and  brilliant.  It  was,  of  course,  impossible  for 
me  to  include  Gil  and  Purdy  in  this  shoot,  as  they  had 
not  met  the  Cooch  Behar  people,  nor  do  they  care  for 
shooting;  but  I  am  going  to  get  letters  to  the  Rajah  of 
Gwalior  and  to  the  Resident  at  Baroda,  which  will  in- 
clude them.  I  was  promised  invitations  for  them  to  the 
ball  tonight,  though  of  course  it's  a  private  affair  of 
Lady  M.'s ;  but  they  declined  as  Gil's  dress  suit  was  out  of 
order,  and  Purdy  is  a  proud  misogynist;  so  they're  off 
for  Darjeeling. 

Hute  Knox  (son  of  Senator  Knox,  and  manager  of  our 
football  team  last  fall)  turned  up  today  and  is  dining 
with  me  tonight.  Heath  Woolsey  and  Phil  Goodwin 
are  expected  here  soon.  It 's  great  to  meet  old  pals  in 
far-away  places!  Last  night  we  had  a  little  dinner  and 
went  to  the  theatre.  It  was  the  ' l  Merry  Widow  ' '  and  we 
found  it  very  entertaining,  although  it  is  undoubtedly  an 
old  story  to  you  by  this  time. 


116  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

As  the  brilliant  and  modern  capital  of  the  vast  Indian 
Empire,  Calcutta  is  very  interesting,  but  aside  from  this 
phase,  and  the  Zoological  Gardens  and  Museum  (which  is 
one  of  the  finest  in  the  world)  and  the  burning  ghats  and 
bathing  ghats  along  the  Ganges,  it  is  not  a  particularly 
interesting  or  distinctive  city.  We  shall  see  much  more 
of  Indian  life  and  splendid  Indian  temples  and  monu- 
ments, elsewhere. 

Well,  ho!  for  the  tigers  and  leopards!    As  ever, 

AM. 

CALCUTTA,  January  31. 

DEAR  MOTHER:  As  I  wrote  to  Con  about  the  Durbar, 
Hute  Knox's  appearance,  and  the  expected  approach  of 
Heath  Woolsey  and  Phil  Goodwin,  Gil  and  Purdy's  trip 
to  Darjeeling,  the  ball  and  my  invitation  to  shoot  at 
Cooch  Behar,  I'll  not  repeat  them.  We  have  had  news 
of  Hervey  at  last -he  is  hastening  through  India  ahead 
of  us  and  sails  in  a  few  days  for  home  via  Cairo  and 
Europe.  It  seems  that  it  was  not  because  of  any  losses 
which  his  family  sustained  in  the  panic  that  he  is  re- 
turning, but  because  his  father  wishes  him  to  be  on  hand 
to  study  the  business  conditions  at  this  time.  Then,  too, 
his  grandmother  recently  died. 

After  seeing  Gil  and  Purdy  off  for  Darjeeling,  Hute 
and  I  had  tea  and  then  drove  out  to  the  Zoological  Gar- 
dens where  we  prowled  around  a  bit,  bribed  the  keeper 
to  make  the  tigers  roar,  and  studied  the  defensive  armor 
of  the  rhinoceros.  We  returned  through  the  Maidan  and 
the  Eden  Gardens  where  we  stopped  to  hear  the  band.  I 
had  Hute  over  to  dinner  with  me,  and  he  has  asked  me 
for  tiffin  at  his  hotel  tomorrow.  We  sat  around  a  bit 
afterwards,  not  going  to  the  ball  till  ten.  It  was  a  beauti- 
ful affair,  a  brilliant  assemblage  in  a  regal  ballroom,  and 
although  I  didn't  know  many  people,  I  had  a  fine  time. 
Lady  Violet  Elliott  is  one  of  the  most  charming  girls  I 
have  ever  met.  There  was  also  an  American  girl  there, 


one]  IN  THE  JUNGLES  OF  COOCH  BEHAR  117 

a  beautiful  Miss  Reynolds  of  Providence.  I  had  a  pleas- 
ant chat  with  the  Japanese  consul-general,  who  knew 
Uncle  John  slightly,  as  he  was  secretary  of  the  Japanese 
legation  when  Uncle  John  was  ambassador  in  London. 
He  insists  on  calling  me  Mr.  Hay ! 

Gil  and  Purdy  expect  to  make  a  trip  of  ten  days  or  so 
out  from  Darjeeling  into  Sikhim,  and  will  wish  to  be 
there  a  few  days  arranging  for  it,  so  that  I  am  hoping 
to  get  back  from  Cooch  Behar  about  the  same  time,  and 
travel  a  bit  with  them,  going  to  Gwalior,  Jeypore,  Baroda, 
Benares,  Delhi,  Agra,  Ahmedabad,  Lahore,  etc.,  and  then 
into  Kashmir  for  a  shoot.  Later  southern  India  and 
Ceylon.  .  .  Love  to  all,  AMASA. 

IN  THE  JUNGLES  OF  COOCH  BEHAR,  between  chota  hazri  and 

breakfast,  February  4,  1908. 

DEAR  FATHER  :  Here  I  am,  sitting  in  my  palatial  tent 
of  gold  and  scarlet  tapestry,  and  starting  a  letter  to  you 
to  which  I  mean  to  add  from  day  to  day  during  our 
shoot.  I  think  the  best  way  I  can  describe  our  camp  is 
to  refer  you  to  a  description  of  the  same  thing  somewhere 
in  Crawford's  Mr.  Isaacs  which  has,  if  I  remember 
rightly,  a  very  good  one.  There  is  one  camp  for  our 
elephants  and  their  drivers,  another  for  the  bullock  carts 
which  brought  out  our  mushroom  city,  another  for  the 
beaters  and  coolies,  and  a  fourth  for  us.  We  six  sports- 
men have  each  a  separate  tent,  besides  which  there  is  a 
gun  tent,  dining  tent,  card  tent,  cook  tent,  and  smaller 
ones  for  our  tent  boys.  The  main  room  of  my  tent  is 
at  least  twenty  feet  square,  and  there  is  ample  head 
room,  even  at  the  sides.  There  is  a  bed,  bureau,  two 
tables,  a  desk  and  three  chairs  in  this  room.  I  have  be- 
sides a  dressing  room  and  a  bath  room.  There  is  also  a 
sort  of  porch,  with  a  lounge  chair  in  front,  and  under- 
neath the  heavy  canvas  flooring  is  a  quantity  of  straw 
to  keep  things  dry.  Our  party  consists  of  H.  H.  Hitendra 
Nerayahn,  son  of  the  Maharajah  of  Cooch  Behar,  Suji 


118  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

Babba,  one  of  his  A.D.C.'s,  Mr.  Hammond,  the  resident, 
Mr.  Daniels  (who  captained  the  all-English  football  team 
of  1904),  Major  Bonsar,  and  self.  Bonsar  and  I  came 
down  together  this  morning  from  Darjeeling,  which  we 
left  yesterday  afternoon,  and  Mr.  Hammond  met  us  at 
the  Cooch  Behar  Railway  Station.  This  leads  me  to  ex- 
plain :  I  found  that  although  Prince  Hitendra  was  going 
up  to  Cooch  Behar  January  thirtieth,  the  shoot  itself 
would  not  start  for  two  or  three  days,  so  I  wired  him  my 
change  of  plans  and  with  the  aid  of  Hute,  packed  my  kit 
in  two  minutes  and  a  half,  and  caught  a  train  for  Dar- 
jeeling the  day  after  the  ball.  I  met  Major  Bonsar  on  the 
way  up.  Miss  Reynolds  was  also  there,  and  two  nice 
chaps  named  Colonel  Lyons  and  Mr.  Browne.  The  jour- 
ney up  boded  ill,  as  it  was  cold  and  rainy  as  soon  as  we 
struck  the  mountains,  and  we  only  got  occasional 
glimpses  through  the  mist  which  enabled  us  to  appreciate 
the  wonderful  feat  of  engineering  which  takes  one  up 
seven  thousand  feet  to  the  snows  from  the  heated  plains 
of  Ind.  Purdy  and  Gil  met  me  at  the  train,  and  are  all 
agog  over  their  prospective  trip  into  Sikhim.  They  have 
met  a  nice  missionary  here  named  Campbell,  who  is  help- 
ing to  arrange  it  for  them,  and  they  are  in  the  midst  of 
preparations  -  ponies,  provisions,  interpreter,  cook,  and 
coolies.  The  next  day  was  gorgeous.  My  luck  seems 
never  to  fail  me.  I  got  up  in  time  for  the  sunrise  on  the 
everlasting  hills,  saw  Kanchanjanga  in  all  the  majesty  of 
twenty-eight  thousand  feet  and  spent  the  greater  part  of 
the  day  in  the  busy  bazaar  where  are  seen  Gurkhas,  Ne- 
paulese,  Bhutanese,  and  Sikhimice  (I  hope  that's  right). 
In  the  evening,  Bonsar  and  I  left  for  Cooch  Behar,  which 
we  reached  about  noon,  after  changing  cars  at  midnight. 
After  late  breakfast,  I  played  billiards  and  croquet  with 
young  Prince  Hitendra,  and  inspected  the  tobacco  farm 
and  gardens  with  Mrs.  Hammond.  Final  arrangements 
being  completed,  we  started  after  tiffin  to  drive  in  traps 
to  camp.  Relays  of  horses  having  been  sent  out  before- 


IN  THE  JUNGLES  OF  COOCH  BEHAR      121 

hand  by  Hammond,  we  did  seventeen  miles  over  country 
roads  in  two  hours,  and  finished  the  last  five  miles  on 
elephants  by  the  light  of  the  stars  and  crescent  moon 
through  the  jungle. 

The  camp  is  in  a  romantic  spot,  a  clearing  beside  a 
winding  stream,  and  as  I  stood  smoking  a  final  pipe  last 
night  before  my  tent  door,  and  listened  to  the  howling  of 
the  jackals,  the  shrilling  of  the  crickets,  the  stampings 
and  rumblings  of  our  tethered  elephants,  and  the  thou- 
sand and  one  soft  night  sounds  only  heard  in  the  silence 
of  woods  or  jungle,  I  realized  that  my  dearest  dreams 
were  about  to  come  true.  We  dined  sumptuously  and 
spent* the  evening  chatting  and  bridging.  I  couldn't  ask 
for  a  more  companionable  party.  Hitendra  Nerayahn 
is  a  fiery  young  rajah  of  eighteen.  He  has  done  a  great 
deal  of  shooting,  was  a  famous  cricketer  at  Eaton,  and 
goes  to  Cambridge  next  fall.  Suji  Babba  is  an  experi- 
enced shikari,  bright  and  handsome,  and  with  a  fund  of 
stories.  So  much  for  our  Indian  friends.  Daniels  has  a 
very  pretty  wit,  Hammond,  the  resident,  seems  to  be  an 
exceptionally  fine  and  capable  man,  giving  good  advice 
to  the  Maharajah,  and  the  practical  ruler  of  the  state, 
which  he  handles  very  well,  both  from  the  British  and 
native  point  of  view.  Bonsar  tells  of  being  taken  pris- 
oner during  the  Boer  War,  etc.,  and  I -well,  modesty  for- 
bids me  to  tell  how  captivating  I  can  really  be  at  times. 

As  I  intimated  in  my  postals,  my  usual  luck  came  to 
my  aid,  not  only  allowing  me  at  the  last  moment  to  visit 
Darjeeling,  but  giving  us  a  beautiful  day  at  a  bad  time  of 
year.  I  was  sorry  Gil  and  Purdy  could  not  be  included 
in  the  Maharajah's  invitation,  but  as  this  is  simply  a 
shoot,  no  long  visit  at  the  palace  being  expected,  and  as 
they  are  neither  of  them  keen  for  shooting,  it  will  hardly 
be  in  their  line. 

Evening. 

It  is  a  wonderful  sensation  to  be  in  an  elephant  how- 
dah  after  having  been  placed  in  a  likely  spot  amidst 


122  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

the  thickest  of  the  jungle,  and  left  there  to  silence  and 
your  guns.  (I  bought  as  a  reserve  gun  in  Calcutta,  a 
paradox  -  ball  and  shotgun  -  as  no  one  out  here  seems  to 
consider  the  9  m.m.  mannlicher  sufficiently  heavy  for 
tiger,  and  I  have  found  it  is  best  to  take  the  advice  of 
those  on  the  spot.)  Howdah  shooting  may  seem  tame, 
unsportsman-like,  and  easy  enough,  when  one  is  sitting 
in  an  arm-chair  before  one's  own  fireside,  but  when  you 
are  told  -  as  I  was  a  few  days  ago  by  a  well  known  sports- 
man who  had  just  returned  from  a  successful  tiger  hunt- 
that  a  tiger  pulled  down  two  elephants  with  their  how- 
dahs  less  than  a  week  ago;  that  they  not  unfrequently, 
when  wounded,  spring  on  top  of  the  elephants,  '  *  getting 
home"  as  they  say  here  (though  it  must  be  anything 
but  homelike  for  the  chap  in  the  howdah  and  fo,r  the  ma- 
hout, or  elephant-driver,  who  sits  on  the  elephant's  neck) 
and  when  the  most  experienced  hunters  will  tell  you  that 
unless  you  cripple  your  tiger  with  the  first  shot,  it  is 
better  to  miss  him  altogether  and  never  to  fire  unless  you 
feel  certain  of  so  maiming  him,  it  doesn't  seem  quite  so 
mild.  Well,  at  any  rate,  there  I  was  with  the  tangle  wav- 
ing over  my  head  on  all  sides,  gripping  my  450  express, 
and  glaring  into  the  jungle  at  every  sound.  Every  rustle 
drew  my  keenest  attention.  I  was  strung  to  a  high  pitch 
for  forty-five  deliciously  intense  minutes.  Gradually, 
through  the  hot  sultry  silence  of  the  jungle,  the  sound 
of  the  beaters  grew  upon  my  ears.  I  cocked  my  rifle 
(holding  it,  however,  pointing  straight  up  so  as  not  to 
make  my  mahout  nervous,  or  likely  to  lose  confidence  in 
my  nerves)  knowing  that  if  anything  was  coming  out  it 
must  come  soon  now.  I  could  barely  make  out  the  bulk  of 
Daniel's  elephant  in  the  next  "  stop  "  to  mine.  Suddenly 
a  sambur  broke  cover  to  my  right.  I  swung  around,  but 
it  was  a  doe;  then  a  hind  came  out;  then  a  pig,  close  to 
Daniels;  his  elephant  snorted  and  plunged,  and  he 
missed;  then  a  beautiful  stag,  far  down  to  the  left,  and 
going  like  lightning.  We  all  fired,  but  he  got  away  un- 


one]  IN  THE  JUNGLES  OF  COOCH  BEHAR  123 

hurt.  Then  a  boar  near  me,  which  I  missed.  Then,  with 
a  mighty  roar,  like  the  crash  of  waves  breaking  on  a 
rocky  coast,  the  elephants  of  the  beating  ' '  line ' '  broke 
through,  and  the  first  *  *  drive  ' '  was  over.  We  had  made 
a  lazy  start  after  a  nine  o'clock  breakfast,  and  hunted 
till  it  began  to  grow  dusk  at  half  after  four,  when  we 
returned  for  tea;  getting  nothing  but  some  wild  boar, 
or  pig.  I  halved  one  with  Hammond  in  the  afternoon. 
We  took  half  an  hour  off  at  one-thirty  for  cold  tiffin,  mak- 
ing about  ten  drives  altogether  during  the  day,  and  get- 
ting a  little  bird  shooting  on  the  way  home.  Hitashio, 
the  Maharajah's  old  shikari,  says  he  knows  of  two  tigers 
in  the  neighborhood  besides  several  bear  and  leopard, 
but  Cooch  Behar,  although  at  one  time  the  best  sporting 
locality  in  India,  and  boasting  many  record  tigers  among 
its  trophies,  has  the  reputation  of  being  pretty  well  shot 
out -the  present  ruler  and  his  four  sons  being  all  keen 
sportsmen. 

February  6. 

We  had  a  dull  day  yesterday,  as  far  as  results  go  -  two 
boar  (one  of  which  fell  to  my  gun)  and  some  quail -but 
I  keenly  enjoyed  the  sensation  of  waiting  for  something 
big  to  come  out.  Something  you  know  can  crumple  you 
up  with  one  hand :  leopard,  tiger,  or  the  formidable  water- 
buffalo.  Today  Hitendra  got  a  big  black  bear  with  two 
cubs,  which  were  taken  alive,  and  will  find  a  place  in  the 
palace  zoo.  It  was  a  huge  animal,  and  caused  great  com- 
motion in  the  jungle -first  trying  to  come  out  past  Bon- 
sar,  but  his  elephant  trumpeted  and  it  took  the  alarm, 
keeping  on  to  the  next  runway,  where  Hammond  was. 
Just  as  he  was  going  to  shoot,  his  elephant  also  trum- 
peted and  it  skuttled  off  past  me  and  tried  to  break 
through  near  the  prince,  but  he  downed  it  with  a  clean 
shot.  He  is,  by  the  way,  one  of  the  prettiest  shots  I've 
ever  seen,  taking  his  birds  in  masterful  style  -  and  it 's 
no  joke  shooting  from  a  swaying  howdah.  They  say  it 
takes  a  long  while  to  get  used  to  the  motion,  which  state- 


124 EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

ment  is  a  great  boon  to  me,  as  I  am  shooting  very  rag- 
gedly.   I  enjoy  the  life  here  tremendously. 

February  7. 

A  beautiful  sight  to-day.  On  the  second  drive  a  seven 
and  one-half  foot  leopard  broke  out  ahead  of  Bonsar  who 
missed  him  twice.  It  then  came  bounding  towards  me. 
I  missed,  and  as  it  swerved  towards  Daniels  he  gave  it  a 
load  of  buckshot  in  the  shoulder.  It  hid  up  in  another 
patch  of  jungle  farther  on,  where  Daniels  subsequently 
gave  it  its  quietus -not  before,  however,  it  had  pretty 
badly  clawed  up  two  elephants.  I  really  ought  to  have 
had  it,  as  it  galloped  past  me  not  more  than  fifty  yards 
distance,  but  my  elephant,  whose  sense  of  smell  is  very 
keen,  was  rearing  and  plunging,  and  squealing  bloody 
murder. 

February  9,  Early  Morning. 

A  dull  day  yesterday.  We  only  got  some  peacock  and 
partridge,  though  we  traveled  a  long  way  to  where  Hita- 
shio  claimed  there  were  both  bear  and  leopard.  He  is 
fast  losing  favor  with  the  crowd  for  the  dearth  of  game 
which  he  offers -it  being  supposedly  the  duty  of  the 
shikari  to  provide  good  sport,  he  being  paid  to  spend  all 
his  time  (when  no  one  is  shooting)  learning  the  haunts 
and  habits  of  the  animals.  However,  a  large  tigress  has 
' '  killed ' '  within  half  a  mile  of  camp.  Hitashio  says 
there  is  a  tiger  with  her  and  we  are  out  after  the  pair 
today.  He  has  just  come  back  from  examining  the 
' '  kill. ' '  We  could  hear  them  roaring  while  we  were 
playing  bridge  last  night.  I  hope  we  may  at  least  see 
one  of  them. 

Evening. 

She  must  have  been  frightened  away  when  Hitashio 
went  around  to  look  at  the  "  kill "  this  morning,  for  al- 
though we  beat  the  jungles  carefully  all  about,  there  was 
nothing  doing.  However,  we  felt  so  sure  of  her  that 
Hammond  advised  us  all  not  to  shoot  at  anything  but 


DANIELS 's  LEOPARD  BEING  PICKED  n- 

AFTER  A    PLUCKY   FlGIIT 


HAMMOND  GIVING  FINAL  INSTRUCTIONS  BEFORE  A  DRIVE 


IN  THE  JUNGLES  OF  COOCH  BEHAR      127 

tiger  for  fear  of  giving  her  the  alarm,  in  which  case  she 
would  strike  back  for  the  line  of  beaters.  While  acting 
as  ' '  stop  ' '  in  quite  a  good  position  during  the  second 
drive,  I  went  through  all  the  sensations.  A  sambur  was 
approaching  me  cautiously  through  the  thick  grass.  I 
could  make  out  that  there  was  a  large  animal  approach- 
ing, but  could  not  tell  what  it  was.  However,  I  had  my 
gun  cocked  and  at  the  ready,  and  the  moment  he  came 
out,  I  covered  him.  Luckily,  I  saw  what  it  was  in  time 
not  to  shoot.  One  has  to  keep  very  quiet  when  hunting 
the  cunning  tiger.  We  hunted  steadily  till  nearly  three, 
putting  up  several  deer,  sambur,  boars,  pea-fowl,  jungle- 
fowl,  and  quail,  but  doing  no  shooting.  After  a  hasty 
tiffin,  Daniels,  the  prince  and  I  went  over  to  a  nearby 
village  on  foot  and  got  a  good  bag  of  quail  and  pigeon, 
walking  up  the  birds  on  foot,  in  the  good  old  fashioned 
way.  Quite  cold  tonight,  as  we  are  in  the  extreme  north- 
ern part  of  Cooch  Behar  at  the  foot  of  the  Himalayas. 

February  10. 

Today  we  ran  across  fresh  tiger  tracks  and  beat  the 
country  all  about  very  circumspectly,  but  with  no  re- 
sults. The  jungles  thereabouts  were  too  thick  and  high- 
the  rank  grass  closing  over  our  heads  even  when  we  stood 
upright  in  the  howdah-and  the  jungles  were  so  large 
that  with  our  medium  sized  quota  of  elephants  (twenty- 
five)  we  couldn't  make  sure  that  the  tiger  hadn't  gone 
back  through  the  driving  line,  or  broken  out  at  either  side 
between  the  widely  separated  stops.  We  did  our  damned- 
est, and  angels  can  do  no  more;  but  a  couple  of  wild 
boar  and  some  partridge  on  the  way  home  were  all  our 
boast. 

February  12. 

Yesterday  was  a  dull  day -our  last -except  when  a 
great  bull-buffalo  gave  the  prince  and  me  a  few  anxious 
moments.  We  were  on  foot  shooting  snipe  over  a  sort 
of  mere  in  the  jungle,  when  he  broke  out.  .  .  Of  course 


128  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

it  would  have  been  suicidal  to  shoot,  as  we  only  had 
number  seven  shot,  and  mindful  of  a  somewhat  similar 
experience  with  a  bull-moose  in  New  Brunswick,  I  warned 
the  prince  not  to  try  and  run.  We  faced  him,  therefore, 
and  agreed  each  to  take  one  eye,  unless  he  stopped  before 
reaching  a  certain  spot,  in  the  hope  of  blinding  him.  He 
did  not  charge  home,  luckily  enough,  but  stopped  about 
twenty  paces  off,  shaking  his  head  and  roaring.  It  looked 
like  a  mutual  admiration  society.  Presently  one  of  our 
elephants  came  up -a  big,  well- trained  tusker  and  we 
shouted  to  the  mahout,  who  made  the  elephant  drive 
away  the  buffalo.  He  seemed  rather  to  enjoy  it.  I  was 
sorry  to  leave  camp. 

Today  we  drove  into  Cooch  Behar,  stopping  to  go  over 
the  palace,  where  we  saw  a  magnificent  collection  of 
heads  and  trophies,  and  met  Prince  Jitendra,  second  son. 
Mrs.  Hammond  gave  a  luncheon  after  which,  and  a  try 
at  "  diabolo  "  and  billiards,  Bonsar,  Prince  Jit,  and  I, 
entrained  for  Calcutta.  We  have  to  get  up  at  four 
o'clock  tomorrow  morn  to  cross  the  Ganges. 

CALCUTTA,  February  14. 

Went  to  a  pleasant  garden  party  at  Woodlands,  the 
Calcutta  residence  of  H.  H.  of  Cooch  Behar,  and  dined 
and  went  to  the  theatre  with  Prince  Jit.  Mother  will  be 
glad  to  know  that  I  found  a  note  here  from  Mr.  Barber 
asking  me  to  preside  at  one  of  the  Y.M.C.A.  meetings,  for 
Indian  students  of  the  Calcutta  College.  I  was  sorry  to 
have  missed  it. 

Well,  I  haven't  got  my  tiger  yet,  but  I  had  a  very  en- 
joyable time,  and  a  rather  unique  experience,  and  have 
still  got  several  people  and  places  in  view  which  may 
enable  me  to  attain  my  desire.  Lovingly,  AMASA. 

CALCUTTA,  February  13, 1908. 

DEAR  GRANDMAMMA:  I  was  very  glad  indeed  to  find 
the  good  letter  from  you  and  one  from  Aunty  Kate  wait- 


one]  CALCUTTA  129 

ing  for  me  when  I  returned  from  my  shoot  in  Cooch 
Behar.  .  . 

I  am  quite  well  myself,  except  a  bit  soft,  as  we  didn't 
get  much  exercise  in  camp,  the  hunting  consisting  of  sit- 
ting and  standing  in  a  jolting  elephant  howdah-good  for 
one's  digestion,  possibly,  but  not  very  strenuous.  How- 
ever, we  got  a  little  tramping  at  bird  shooting,  coming 
back  in  the  late  afternoons.  The  jungles  are  so  thick 
that  it  is  impossible  to  walk  in  most  places,  and  even  the 
grasses  and  reeds  often  closed  over  our  heads  when 
standing  up  in  a  howdah  on  the  back  of  a  hugh  tusker. 
I  have  regained  practically  all  I  lost  at  Hong  Kong, 
weighing  one  hundred  and  seventy-two  pounds  today,  as 
against  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  in  Formosa. 

It  is  beginning  to  get  quite  warm  already  in  Calcutta, 
and  in  a  month  will  be  almost  unbearable.  All  who  can, 
fly  to  Simla,  Darjeeling  and  other  mountain  resorts. 
They  say,  strangely  enough,  however,  that  one  does  not 
mind  the  heat  so  much  one's  first  year  as  later. 

There  is  some  very  interesting  mission  work,  as  well 
as  a  large  and  many-sided  Y.M.C.A.  organization,  being 
carried  on  in  Calcutta.  I  also  saw  some  of  the  splendid 
Scotch  missionaries  at  Darjeeling,  who  labor  among  the 
Buddhist  peoples  of  the  northeast  frontier.  I  have  a 
very  interesting  book  from  one  of  them  about  this,  called 
On  the  Threshold  of  Three  Closed  Lands,  Thibet,  Nepal, 
and  Bhutan.  I  am  expecting  Stark  and  Stout  back  in  a 
few  days  from  a  fine  trip  they  have  been  making  into 
Sikhim,  a  land  lying  in  the  heart  of  the  Himalayas.  Love 
to  all,  AMASA. 

CALCUTTA,  February  15, 1908. 

DEAR  FATHER:  Just  before  leaving  here  for  Darjeel- 
ing and  Cooch  Behar,  I  received  the  following  letters 
from  mother:  November  twenty-first  and  December 
twenty-ninth ;  and  from  you,  one  dated  November  twenty- 


130  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

fifth.  On  my  return,  I  found  number  twenty-two  from 
mother,  and  one  dated  January  twelfth.  From  you  one 
also  dated  January  twelfth. 

Sunday  morning. 

I  fear  that  you  will  think  that  I  am  wasting  time  here 
in  Calcutta  now,  but  there  are  three  reasons  why  I  am 
staying  on  -  first,  I  'm  hoping  to  arrange  for  another  shoot 
to  take  place  in  late  March,  when  we  get  back  from  Kash- 
mir, either  in  Gwalior  or  Baroda,  to  whom  I  have  letters, 
or  in  the  Sunderbunds,  or  somewhere  in  the  central 
Provinces  -  Jubbulpore  -  or  Assam,  where  I  have  a  letter 
to  the  commissioner.  Second,  it's  much  pleasanter  trav- 
eling with  Gil  and  Purdy,  than  alone,  and  I'm  expecting 
them  back  from  their  Sikhim  trip  in  a  few  days;  and 
thirdly,  they  will  not  be  able  to  profit  by  my  letters,  etc. 
unless  they  are  with  me.  I  came  across  Professor  Wil- 
liams of  Yale,  yesterday  afternoon,  and  am  going  to  have 
tiffin  with  him  today.  I  also  went  to  the  races  yesterday 
afternoon,  and  watched  the  men  with  me  win  some 
money.  .  . 

Prince  Jitendra  Nerayahn  of  Cooch  Behar,  is  a  re- 
markable chap.  At  a  theatre  party  last  night  he  tapped 
me  on  the  shoulder  and  beckoned  me  to  follow  him  out- 
side. Then  he  asked  me  if  I  didn't  want  to  leave  the 
theatre  for  half  an  hour  or  so,  and  see  a  hockey  game  at 
a  rink  nearby.  Bather  amused,  I  went.  The  moment 
we  entered  the  rink,  he  was  greeted  on  all  sides,  and  the 
captain  of  the  club  team  which  was  to  play  the  King's 
Own  Regiment  team,  dashed  up  and  begged  him  to  play 
for  them,  as  their  team  was  weak.  This  was  seconded  from 
all  sides,  and  I  could  see  that  he  must  be  considered  a 
crack  player.  After  hesitating  as  long  as  was  polite, 
and  apologizing  in  a  charming  way  to  the  man  whose 
place  he  took,  he  slipped  off  his  dress  coat,  buckled  on  his 
skates,  and  glided  off.  His  playing  was  a  feature  of  the 
game  -  a  smiling,  happy-go-lucky,  reckless,  but  very  skill- 


one]  CALCUTTA  131 

ful  style  of  play,  plenty  of  fire  and  dash,  and  yet  wonder- 
fully sure.  Not  only  was  he  constantly  charging  up  the 
rink  with  the  puck  himself,  getting  past  man  after  man, 
but  he  stopped  the  rushes  of  the  other  team  in  a  wonder- 
ful way,  and  was  the  man  who  invariably  saved  the  situa- 
tion. If  a  scrimmage  started  at  some  other  end  of  the 
rink  (a  roller-skating  rink,  of  course)  he  would  be  there 
in  a  flash,  hovering  on  the  outskirts  like  a  bird  of  prey, 
sure  to  pounce  upon  the  puck  when  some  misplay  or 
crooked  bounce  upset  everyone  else 's  calculations ;  mak- 
ing lucky  strokes  when  the  puck  whizzed  by  overhead,  as 
it  occasionally  did,  and  looking  with  it  all  so  handsome 
and  debonair  "  that  even  the  ranks  of  Tuscany  could 
scarce  forbear  to  cheer. ' '  In  the  second  half  he  tied  the 
score,  which  the  better  team  play  of  the  soldiery  had  put 
ahead,  and  in  the  extra  resultant  period,  by  a  grand  sol- 
itary charge  and  a  clever  pass  to  his  captain  at  the  cru- 
cial moment  (instead  of  trying  to  do  it  all  himself,  as 
some  men  would,  and  probably  missing)  enabled  the  lat- 
ter to  score  the  winning  goal.  Breathless,  drenched, 
rumpled  as  to  hair,  and  wilted  as  to  linen,  with  a  great 
cut  across  his  knuckles,  but  still  smiling,  he  squeezed  into 
his  pumps  and  dress  coat  again,  and  we  hurried  back  to 
the  theatre. 

His  oldest  brother,  Prince  Rajendra  Nerayahn,  for 
whom  I  have  written  Liv,  asking  for  letters  of  introduc- 
tion which  will  enable  him  and  Captain  Denham- White 
to  get  some  shooting  in  Canada,  is  also  a  keen  sportsman 
and  athlete  and  has,  with  all,  quite  a  pretty  wit.  They 
both  play  the  piano  beautifully,  and  Eaji  drives  a  motor 
car  as  well  as  anyone  I  was  ever  with. 

I  went  to  the  parade  service  again  at  St.  James  church, 
inside  the  walls  of  old  Fort  William  this  morning. 
The  sermon  was  in  the  nature  of  a  farewell  to  one  of  the 
regiments,  which  is  about  to  leave  for  the  seat  of  war 
with  Zakka  Kheels.  It  was  very  impressive,  and  so  too 
was  the  march  of  the  scarlet  coated  regiments  back  to 


132  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

their  barracks  after  service,  colors  flying,  and  a  fine  band 
swinging  on  ahead. 

On  the  way  back  through  the  Eden  Gardens,  I  again 
stopped  to  watch  a  cricket  match,  and  was  struck,  as  I 
always  am,  with  the  thought  that  while  it  is  a  delightful 
and  picturesque  pastime -the  white  flanneled  players 
dotted  over  the  greensward,  and  the  whole  field  shut  in 
by  hedges  or  flanked  by  gaudy  marques  and  pavilions -it 
is  not  up  to  our  American  ideas  of  sport.  The  game  is  so 
slow.  The  men  are  constantly  '  *  changing  ' '  and  walking 
leisurely  across  the  lawn.  No  one  seems  to  mind  misses 
and  fumbles,  which  it  would  be  impossible  for  even  an 
average  baseball  player  to  make,  the  game  drags  its 
length  through  an  afternoon,  and  often  a  whole  day,  and 
matches  very  frequently  take  several  days.  However, 
perhaps  we  are  too  keen  about  our  own  game ;  so  many 
men,  so  many  minds.  Lovingly,  AMASA. 

CALCUTTA,  February  15, 1908. 

DEAR  Liv:  I  wish  you  would  find  out  what  the  New 
York,  or  the  business  address,  of  the  K.K.K.  is,  and 
whether  Gregg  Clark  is  still  at  the  head  of  it,  and  whether 
Jim  Campbell  is  still  connected  with  it.  Then  if  you 
wouldn't  mind  just  dropping  a  line  to  Captain  A.  Den- 
ham- White,  Care  of  the  General  Post  Office,  Vancouver, 
to  be  held  until  called  for  (he  arrives  there  the  latter  part 
of  May)  telling  him  where  letters  to  Jim  and  Gregg  will 
catch  them  at  that  time.  If  Gregg  is  no  longer  at  the 
head  of  K.K.K.,  you  might  tell  him  who  is,  and  if  by  any 
chance  K.K.K.  has  ceased  to  exist,  and  you  know  of  any 
similar  concern,  you  might  mention  that.  You  see  Prince 
Bajendra  Nerayahn,  Maraj  Kumar  of  Cooch  Behar  and 
Captain  Denham-White,  are  going  around  the  world  to- 
gether, and  are  anxious  both  to  go  after  grizzlies  and 
sheep  in  the  Canadian  Eockies,  and  to  take  a  canoe  trip 
in  the  eastern  part  of  Canada.  As  I  now  know  the  whole 
family  quite  well,  and  am  under  considerable  obligation 


one]  CALCUTTA  133 

to  them,  having  been  to  their  Calcutta  residence,  * '  Wood- 
lands "  to  dine,  garden  party,  etc.,  having  been  up  to 
Cooch  Behar  itself  for  about  ten  days'  shooting  with  his 
younger  brother,  Prince  Hitendra  Nerayahn,  and  having 
been  out  to  dine  and  the  theatre  several  times  with  Prince 
Jitendra,  I  was  only  too  glad,  when  I  heard  the  other  day 
of  this  suddenly  gotten  up  tour-du-monde  (Prince  Raji  is 
really  taking  it  for  his  health)  to  be  able  to  do  anything 
to  help  him.  I  have  given  them  considerable  information 
and  letters  to  both  Gregg  and  Jim,  which  they  are  going 
to  send  off  as  soon  as  they  arrive  in  Vancouver,  and  have 
heard  from  you.  You  see,  not  being  used  to  canoes,  I 
want  them  to  communicate  at  once  with  Gregg  so  that 
they  may  be  able  to  get  hold  of  the  best  possible  guides  - 
men,  for  instance,  like  Frank  and  George  LeClair-and 
also  that  they  may  have  all  details  for  the  trip  and  their 
outfit  ready  for  them  when  they  come  east  in  July,  after 
having  had  their  Eocky  Mountain  shoot.  I  suggested  to 
Gregg  the  Mississaga  River  trip,  or  something  like  it. 
If  they  get  good  guides,  they  ought  to  have  a  splendid 
time.  They  are  both  mighty  good  chaps  and  keen  sports- 
men, and  I'm  sure  that  you'll  be  glad  to  join  me  in  giving 
them  a  helping  hand-  though  I'm  afraid  I'm  putting  most 
of  the  work  on  you. 

As  I  wrote  father,  while  I  had  a  very  enjoyable  and  in- 
teresting time  in  Cooch  Behar,  the  sport  was  not  very 
good,  the  country  seeming  to  be  pretty  well  shot  out. 
However,  I  'm  hoping  to  have  another  try  for  tiger  before 
long.  Prince  Jitendra  talks  of  coming  up  and  joining  me 
on  a  shoot  in  Kashmir  which  he  is  awfully  keen  to  do,  if 
his  father  will  let  him.  By  the  way,  the  fourth  brother. 
Prince  Victor  Nerayahn  left  last  month  for  Cornell  Uni- 
versity, where  he  expects  to  be  for  about  three  years 
studying  agriculture  and  more  particularly  tobacco  plant- 
ing and  curing,  so  that  he  can  come  home  and  be  sort  of 
lord  of  the  estate.  Prince  Raji,  who  is  the  eldest,  and 
will  succeed  to  the  title,  would  only  look  after  the  political 


134  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

end  of  it.  They  are  one  of  the  oldest  families  in  India, 
and  seem  very  nice,  though  the  sons  are  a  bit  fast.  The 
Marahani  is  a  most  charming  lady,  and  the  daughters, 
particularly  Princess  Pritendra  Nerayahn,  are  ravishing 
beauties. 

I  had  a  letter  from  Bob  Dangler  the  other  day  in  which 
he  spoke  of  how  nice  it  was  having  you  and  Grace  back 
in  Cleveland,  and  I  suppose,  as  far  as  you're  concerned, 
it  must  be  wonderful  to  be  back  again  with  our  old  crowd. 
Your  new  house,  I  hear,  is  going  to  be  a  corker. 

Give  my  kindest  remembrances  to  Grace,  Sue,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  H.,  and  Mary  Helen.  Yours  as  ever,  AM. 

BENARES,  February  19,  1908. 

DEAR  FATHER:  This  wonderful  city  has  more  than 
come  up  to  my  expectations.  I  came  up  here  last  night 
from  Calcutta  with  a  young  chap,  Captain  King,  U.S.A. 
from  the  Philippines.  This  morning  we  spent  on  the 
river  drifting  up  and  down  past  the  marvelous  palaces 
which  front  the  water's  edge,  and  upon  whose  broad 
flights  of  steps,  worn  smooth  by  thousands  of  naked  feet, 
the  endless  procession  of  devout  Hindoos  is  constantly 
descending  to  or  ascending  from  their  daily  dip  into  the 
holy  river.  Brahmins,  holy  men  with  the  elaborate  in- 
signia of  their  caste  outlined  on  the  forehead  and  often 
upon  the  chest  and  shoulders  as  well,  with  paint  or  ashes, 
sit  motionless  facing  the  sun,  or  go  through  what  might 
be  called  an  elaborate  form  of  manual  worship,  closing 
and  unclosing  their  fingers,  adoring  Vishnu  in  the  person 
of  their  own  thumb,  endlessly  repeated  gestures  and  mov- 
ings  of  the  arms,  hands,  and  wrists  in  not  ungraceful  mo- 
tion. There  are  several  gods  alive  in  Benares  today,  and 
some  of  them  may  be  seen  seated  cross-legged  in  little 
shrines  where  the  people  may  come  and  adore  them.  The 
red  blaze  of  the  many  fires  which  carry  up  with  them  to 
heaven  the  souls  of  those  whose  bodies  they  are  consum- 
ing, may  be  seen  upon  the  burning  ghats,  and  the  scent 


BENARES  137 


of  the  smouldering  sandal-wood  drifts  past  us,  mingling 
with  the  vast  conglomeration  of  other  scents  and  smells  - 
flowers,  incense,  decaying  matter,  etc.,  rather  offensive, 
certainly  overpowering  at  times,  yet  with  a  strange  haunt- 
ing flavor  redolent  of  the  East.  The  great  marble  and 
red-sandstone  palaces  and  temples  form  a  marvelous 
background  for  the  picture  whose  foreground  is  a  vivid 
kaleidoscope  of  robed  figures  and  numerous  little  carved 
shrines;  while  through  the  whole  flows  silently  and  ma- 
jestically the  sacred  Ganges  upon  whose  turbid  bosom  are 
borne  swiftly  down  together  the  ashes  of  the  dead  and  the 
flowers  of  sacrifice.  As  men  are  doing  here  today,  so 
have  they  done  for  thousands  of  yesterdays,  and  will 
continue  to  do  for  thousands  of  tomorrows. 

After  an  hour  or  so  on  the  river,  we  disembarked  and 
wandered  through  the  narrow  crooked  streets  of  the  old 
town.  The  ancient  houses  with  their  overhanging  bal- 
conies -  sometimes  almost  meeting  those  on  the  other 
side -carved  windows  and  richly  pillared  doorways,  con- 
jured up  at  once  fanciful  pictures  of  the  old  romantic  life 
they  formerly  beheld.  Fierce  looking  men,  bearded  and 
turbaned,  swung  past  us.  Beggars  and  fakirs  crouched 
in  the  bright  sunlight  by  the  white  walls,  their  intense 
black  shadows  in  strong  relief.  Brass  and  bronzewares 
gleamed  from  the  stalls  where  the  merchants  squatted 
smoking  their  bulbous  pipes;  silks  and  embroideries 
tempted  us  from  the  bazaars;  roving  dark  eyes  peeped 
through  the  bars  of  the  zenanas  above ;  women,  bright  in 
wonderful  draperies  of  scarlet  and  purple  and  orange, 
brushed  past  us  and  we  caught  the  faint  clash  of  their 
silver  anklets,  and  the  half-seen  glances  that  flashed 
through  their  veils.  It  was  all  mystical,  wonderful,  and 
strange.  Suddenly  passing  a  side  street,  we  heard  the 
blare  of  trumpets,  the  crash  of  cymbals,  and  the  loud  in- 
sistent notes  of  the  heavy  Indian  drum.  A  wedding  pro- 
cession with  all  its  flashing  pomp  and  pageantry  swept 
along,  and  we  drew  back  into  a  niche  to  see  it.  Scores 


138  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

of  splendidly  housed  horses  with  jingling  bells  were  led 
past,  curvetting  and  prancing.  Then  came  the  friends 
and  male  relatives  of  the  bridegroom,  crowned  with  chap- 
lets  of  yellow  flowers;  then  the  band;  then  men  bearing 
lights,  flowers  and  presents ;  then  more  horses ;  then  the 
bridegroom  on  a  milk-white  charger,  both  wondrously 
caparisoned.  His  retainers  brought  up  the  rear.  He 
was  bound  for  the  bride's  house  to  carry  her  off  accord- 
ing to  the  good  old-fashioned  custom.  Half  an  hour  in 
an  old  brass  shop  completed  our  morning.  In  the  after- 
noon we  visited  the  palace  of  the  present  Maharajah  of 
Benares,  a  modern  affair  and  a  strange  contrast  of  re- 
fined and  shockingly  bad  taste  -  the  great  reception  room, 
for  instance,  had  hung  side  by  side  on  its  walls,  splendid 
oils  by  B.  A.'s  and  colored  prints  from  weekly  magazines. 
The  Monkey  Temple  was  quaint  and  interesting  but  the 
Golden  Temple  pleased  us  most.  "We  poked  into  all  sorts 
of  queer  nooks  and  corners  here ;  a  dirty  court  surround- 
ing the  famous  marble-carved  "Well  of  Knowledge," 
where  beggars  innumerable  beset  our  path.  The  shrines 
where  the  sacred  bulls  were  feeding  unmolested  by  the 
praying  Hindoos  beside  them,  and  where  circling  pigeons 
and  strutting  peacocks  made  beautiful  a  scene  of  in- 
describable filth,  if  of  intense  interest.  The  huge  slabs 
of  stone  which  paved  the  narrow  passages  and  courts 
were  dark  and  slippery  with  grease  and  candle  ends,  de- 
caying flowers  and  sweetmeats;  grain  and  toy  images 
were  scattered  all  about.  Flower  stalls,  image  venders, 
beggars,  devotees  and  shrines -this  made  the  sum  of  the 
crowded  alleys  which  connected  the  various  courts  and 
temples  of  worship.  When  we  left  we  each  had  a  garland 
of  marigolds  thrown  over  our  heads  by  a  shriveled  priest. 
After  stopping  at  some  silk  bazaars  and  wandering 
through  more  narrow  crowded  streets,  we  saw  a  nautch 
dance  which  had  been  arranged  for  us,  and  then  came 
back  for  a  bath  and  dinner.  I  forgot  to  say  that  after 
tiffin  we  were  entertained  by  a  marvelous  conjurer  who 


one]  AGRA  139 

ended  his  truly  miraculous  performances  by  a  fight  be- 
tween a  mongoose  and  a  cobra,  in  which  the  snake  was 
really  and  truly  killed  by  the  doughty  little  "  Eicky-ticky- 
tavy."  The  moon  came  up  about  ten,  and  we  spent  an- 
other hour  on  the  river -the  palaces,  steps,  and  burning 
ghats  touched  with  its  magic  light. 

AGRA,  February  21. 

After  tiffin.  Eose  early  yesterday  morning  and  spent 
another  hour  on  the  river,  when  the  bathing  is  at  its  height ; 
then  bidding  farewell  to  Captain  King,  I  took  the  eight 

0  'clock  train  for  Agra.     The  long,  hot,  dusty  journey  was 
considerably  relieved  by  a  pleasant  English  honeymoon 
couple,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bolton,  who,  though  the  train  was 
not  full,  insisted  upon  my  sharing  their  carriage.     They 
got  off  at  Cawnpore,  but  will  be  here  tonight.    I  reached 
here  at  half  past  ten  in  the  evening  and  was  greeted  by 
the  pretty  little  manageress  of  the  comfortable  Hotel 
Cecil,  who  insisted  upon  my  having  a  drink  before  I 
turned  in.     This  morning  I  spent  at  the  fort  and  palaces, 
and   the   tomb   of   I  'timand-Ud-Daulah    and    the   great 
mosque.     So  much  has  been  so  delightfully  written  about 
the  beauties  of  Agra,  and  probably  so  often  read  by  you 
and  mother,  that  I  can  only  say  I  was  perfectly  entranced 
at  the  Pearl  Mosque,  the  great  marble  Halls  of  Public  and 
Private  Audience,  the  Mina  Bazaar,  the  Gem  Mosque,  the 
Fish  Square,  the  Grape  Garden,  the  Mirror  Bath,  the 
marble  Parchesi  Board  (where  Shah  Jehan  played  with 
dancing  girls  for  pieces)  and  above  all,  at  the  exquisite 
Jessamine  Tower  overhanging  the  Jumna  Eiver.    What 
wonderful  men  Akbar  and  Shah  Jehan  must  have  been, 
and  how  I  should  like  to  be  able  to  get  a  glimpse  of  this 
place  as  it  was  in  all  the  splendor  of  their  glorious  courts. 

1  got  a  number  of  very  good  pictures,  but  what  pleased 
me  most  was  the  fact  that  there  are  so  few  tourists  here. 
I  was  practically  alone  all  morning.     The  British  gov- 
ernment is  in  charge  of  all  of  the  wonders  of  Agra,  which 


140  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

accounts  for  the  fact  that  no  picnicking  is  allowed  in  the 
palaces,  and  that  there  are  no  beggars,  hawkers,  or  guides 
hanging  about  to  bother  you. 

I  have  been  trying  to  get  hold  of  a  good  shikari,  as  I 
understand  there  is  excellent  black  buck  shooting  in  the 
jungles  hereabouts. 

Evening. 

I  sallied  out  about  four  o'clock  this  afternoon  and 
drove  through  the  town,  stopping  at  several  shops  where 
I  pawed  over  all  sorts  of  wares  -  rugs,  wondrous  embroid- 
eries, scarfs  of  filmy  texture,  jewelry,  gold  and  silver 
bangles,  jade,  porcelain,  inlaid  ware,  enameled  jewel 
boxes,  brass  and  bronzes,  alabaster  carvings  and  tables, 
inlaid  marble,  carved  teak  wood  in  all  forms  from  four- 
posters  to  paper  cutters,  hammered  silver  bowls,  and 
heaven  knows  what  else.  You  may  be  able  to  imagine 
my  present  beatific  state  of  mind  when  I  add  that  I  drove 
over  and  finished  this  eventful  day  with  a  glorious  sunset 
in  the  rose  gardens  of  the  Taj  Mahal.  It  was  perfect. 
The  two  inner  tombs  wonderfully  impressive  in  their 
white  marble  simplicity,  were  covered  with  white  roses, 
and  a  sort  of  evening  vesper  service  was  being  read  from 
the  koran,  while  the  faint  aroma  of  incense  drifted 
through  the  mausoleum,  like  strains  of  distant  music. 
What  surprised  me  so  much  was  the  size  and  grandeur  of 
the  structure  - 1  somehow  had  the  idea  that  the  Taj  was 
small,  a  sort  of  little  jewel  like  the  Mina  Mosque.  Not 
so.  The  gardens  and  gates  about  it  are  vast,  and  the 
final  shrine  is  about  the  same  size  as  Trinity  Cathedral. 
What  a  wonderful  thing  for  a  big  splendid  barbaric  ruler 
to  have  built  over  the  grave  of  the  woman  he  loved!  I 
wish  we  knew  more  about  her -the  beautiful  Mumtaz 
Mahal,  or  Arjamand  Bannu.  One  could  almost  wish  her 
to  have  been  as  romantic  and  historic  a  figure  as  her 
spouse.  Fancy  Cesar  or  Mark  Anthony,  for  instance, 
building  such  a  mausoleum  for  Cleopatra!  I  think  the 


one]  DAK  BUNGALOW  141 

Taj  is  a  living  proof  of  the  fact  (which  many  people,  of 
course,  do  not  admit  to  be  a  fact)  namely,  that  the  beau- 
tiful is  absolute.  Here  we  have  a  building,  which  in  spite 
of  all  the  fulsome  praise  one  hears  about  it,  which  always 
tends  to  prejudice  one  against  it,  never  fails  to  establish 
itself  in  the  mind  of  every  individual  who  has  so  far  seen 
it  and  probably  in  the  mind  of  every  individual  who  ever 
will  see  it,  as  the  one  most  beautiful  thing  he  has  ever 
seen.  It  satisfies  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men -artist 
and  plough  boy,  Christian  and  Hindoo,  white  and  black, 
pork-packer  and  sculptor.  I  am  going  to  see  it  tonight 
by  moonlight,  as  the  moon  is  on  the  wane  and  will  soon 
be  gone.  I'm  afraid  Purdy  and  Gil  will  miss  that  glori- 
ous effect.  A  wire  today  says  they  arrive  Monday. 

DAK  BUNGALOW,  near  Fatehpur  Sikri,  Saturday  night. 
Last  night  I  took  a  trap  about  half  past  ten  o'clock, 
just  as  the  moon  was  rising,  and  went  down  to  the  train  to 
meet  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bolton.  We  sent  their  luggage  on  up 
to  the  hotel  and  I  took  them  over  to  see  the  Taj  by  moon- 
light. It  was  indescribably  lovely,  suggestive  and  inspir- 
ing; the  rose  gardens  most  wonderfully  fragrant.  I 
think  at  night  the  pathos  of  Shah  Jehan's  great  sorrow 
is  more  apparent,  and  the  perfect  harmony  of  its  setting 
in  the  green  and  white  rose  gardens,  its  marble  base 
lapped  by  the  waters  of  the  Jumna,  is  more  noticeable. 
Then  the  river  life  is  hushed,  and  the  parrots  and  king- 
fishers and  squirrels  and  pigeons  are  silent,  and  only  the 
plash  of  the  fountains  break  the  cool  stillness  of  the  night. 
Beside  the  fairest  tomb  ever  raised  by  man  to  the  memory 
of  love,  I  mused  over  this  short  lament : 

MY  BELOVED  IS  DEAD 

She  is  dead,  for  the  mystic  All-seeing 
Has  bidden  her  Soul  wing  its  flight 
To  His  Realm ;  and  the  Sun  of  my  being 
Is  shrouded  in  infinite  Night. 


142  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

Where  are  empery,  riches,  or  pleasure, 
In  a  world  whence  her  Spirit  has  fled  ? 
What  is  Life,  when  bereft  of  its  treasure, 
Its  love?     .     .     .     My  beloved  is  dead. 

All  nations  shall  come,  as  of  duty, 
To  worship  the  path  that  she  trod; 
To  gaze  on  the  shrine  of  her  beauty, 
Who  rests  in  the  Garden  of  God. 

I  have  pillowed  thy  tomb  in  the  thunders 
Of  Heaven,  mine  Arjamand,  sweet : 
And  earth  has  unbosomed  her  wonders 
To  spread  them  abroad  at  thy  feet. 

So,  sleep,  loving  heart,  for  to-morrow 
Serafil  his  trumpet  shall  sound, 
And  souls  that  have  slumbered  in  sorrow 
Shall  break  from  the  desolate  ground. 

Then  arise  through  the  dome  of  thy  prison, 
Outsoar  the  dominion  of  fate; 
By  the  path  where  love 's  incense  has  risen 
Thou  shalt  meet  me  at  last,  in  the  gate. 

This  morning  we  motored  out  here,  over  twenty-four 
miles  of  dusty  roads.  The  country  was  dry  and  bar- 
ren, but  the  little  mud  villages  we  passed  through  were 
interesting  and  full  of  life  and  color.  We  spent  a  delight- 
ful morning  in  this  titanic,  red-sandstone  city  of  the  dead, 
roaming  through  its  silent  palaces  and  mosques;  from 
carved  chambers  to  marble  baths,  from  halls  of  justice  to 
stables,  from  seats  of  learning  to  residences,  from  zena- 
nas to  bazaars,  from  dungeons  to  towers,  till  we  ended  be- 
fore the  Great  Triumph  Gate  which  looks  out  over  the 
plain,  above  whose  arch  is  written  in  the  beautiful  Per- 
sian script,  the  letters  inlaid  in  black  marble  two  feet 
high,  a  warning  and  an  inspiration  to  the  traveler. 

Wayfarer,  born  to  high  or  low  Estate, 
In  quest  of  happiness  beyond  the  bourne 
Of  this  dim  planet  where  we  moil  and  mourn, 
Ponder  the  scroll  on  Akbar's  Triumph  Gate. 


DAK  BUNGALOW  145 


Learn  how,  he  held  the  power  of  Ind  in  fee, 
Yet  deemed  Virtue's  guerdon  nobler  far 
Than  diadem  or  victory  in  War, 
And  swayed  the  world  in  great  Humility. 

See  how  he  sought  the  Infinite  in  the  best 
Of  every  Creed  that  owned  him  Lord  and  King ; 
And,  each  Ideal  humbly  worshipping, 
Found  Truth  in  all  ere  he  returned  to  Rest. 

We  had  tiffin  here  at  two  o'clock,  and  after  the  Bol- 
tons  had  whirled  off  midst  fond  adieus,  I  slipped  into  my 
shooting  togs  and  with  my  rifle,  a  shikari  I  had  picked  up, 
and  a  couple  of  coolies,  I  sallied  forth  to  seek  the  noble 
black-buck  in  his  lair.  I  tramped  about  from  four  until 
seven  o  'clock  in  a  new  pair  of  boots  and  got  my  feet  pretty 
sore.  The  jungles  are  low,  dry,  and  quite  open,  if  indeed 
they  can  be  called  jungles  at  all  after  the  dense,  towering, 
tangled  masses  at  Cooch  Behar.  The  black  buck  are  very 
shy,  but  the  grandest  animal  in  action  I  ever  saw -their 
first  jumps,  when  startled,  being  tremendous  leaps 
straight  into  the  air.  They  seem  from  a  distance  to  be 
bounding  up  and  down,  like  rubber  balls,  then  suddenly 
they  shoot  off  like  an  arrow,  not  running,  but  going  with 
great  long  bounds.  Their  horns  are  spiraled,  something 
like  a  corkscrew.  I  stalked  to  within  two  hundred  yards  - 
through  waist-high  grass -of  the  first  black-buck  I  saw, 
before  he  took  the  alarm.  I  made  rather  a  nice  shot,  but 
hit  him  too  high  in  the  back.  It  knocked  him  down,  but  be- 
fore I  had  run  more  than  thirty  yards,  he  was  up  and  away. 
I  fired  again,  unfortunately  hitting  him  in  the  horn,  and 
breaking  it,  but  again  downing  him.  I  was  using  my  33 
Winchester.  He  got  up  again,  however,  almost  immedi- 
ately, and  made  off  faster  than  ever.  I  sent  two  more 
bullets  whistling  past  him  as  he  fairly  flew  off  towards  my 
right,  and  then  made  a  purely  lucky  grandstand  sort  of  a 
shot  which  finally  brought  him  down  with  a  hole  through 
the  neck  as  he  was  going  nearly  dead  away  from  me  at 
four  hundred  and  twenty  paces!  I  got  my  second  also 


146  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

' '  on  the  wing ' '  and  missed  the  third  and  last  I  saw. 
Came  back  at  sundown  -  it  was  dark,  though,  long  before 
I  reached  here,  and  weirdly  impressive  tramping  through 
the  echoing  halls  and  corridors  of  the  old  city,  with  the 
stars  twinkling  in  through  arched  windows  and  doorways. 
In  our  present  generation  what  an  odd  thing  it  would  be 
for  a  ruler  to  build  himself  a  great  capital  to  commem- 
orate the  birth  of  a  son,  to  populate  it  and  live  there  with 
his  whole  court  for  eleven  years,  then  go  back  to  his  old 
capital;  and  for  that  son,  himself,  to  build  still  a  third 
capital  when  he  ascended  the  throne.  Yet  this  is  what 
Akbar  and  his  son  did  here  at  Agra,  Fatehpur  Sikri,  and 
Delhi.  No  man  has  dwelt  there  since,  and  yet  so  endur- 
ing are  stone  buildings  in  the  dry  dusty  atmosphere  of 
India,  that  nearly  four  hundred  years  have  passed  over 
it,  yet  the  city  stands  much  the  same  as  it  did  in  his  day. 
I  am  delightfully  tired  to-night,  but  find  this  little  Dak 
Bungalow  quite  comfortable. 

February  23. 

Up  at  half  past  five  in  the  cold  moonlight,  and  away 
shortly  after  six  o'clock  in  an  ekka-a  two- wheeled  one- 
mule  affair  not  unlike  those  Irish  gigs  where  you  sit 
on  the  side  with  your  feet  dangling  over,  I  drove  out 
about  six  miles  to  a  little  jungle  village  where  I  left  the 
ekka  and  began  to  hunt  the  jungles.  My  first  shot  was 
fairly  long,  but  easy,  as  the  buck  presented  a  fair  mark, 
yet  I  missed  him  clean.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  used 
my  telescope  sight  on  the  mannlicher  since  practice  with 
it  in  New  Haven.  I  was  somewhat  surprised  at  such  a 
very  bad  miss  and  upon  examination  found  that  by  mon- 
keying thoughtlessly  with  it  at  odd  times  -  showing  it  to 
people,  etc.,  I  had  gotten  it  several  thousand  yards  out  of 
the  way.  I  therefore  stopped,  made  a  rifle  rest,  paced 
off  range  distances,  and  re-sighted  it,  with  the  pleasing 
result  that  I  killed  my  next  buck  with  the  first  shot.  The 
sun  soon  become  unbearably  hot,  and  as  I  tramped  about 
steadily  from  half  past  seven  until  half  past  twelve,  I  got 


one]  DAK  BUNGALOW  147 

tired,  hot,  dusty,  and  thirsty.  Add  to  this  that  I  had 
chafed  one  heel  to  the  raw  yesterday  with  my  new  heavy 
hunting-boots,  which,  getting  dusty,  was  now  quite  sore, 
and  it  will  perhaps  help  to  excuse  my  missing  a  couple 
more  nice  shots  during  the  morning.  The  cart  met  us  at 
an  old  temple,  where  there  were  a  couple  of  Brahmins  and 
a  well  with  fair  water.  Here  I  had  tiffin  and  laid  down 
for  an  hour  or  so  during  the  heat  of  the  day.  The  life  at 
this  little  jungle  crossroad  was  very  interesting :  drovers 
of  cattle  or  goats  would  come  up,  leave  their  charges, 
salute  the  old  priests,  say  a  few  prayers,  and  get  a  drink. 
Wayfarers  and  bright-robed  women,  carrying  bundles  of 
fagots,  or  empty  water-jars  on  their  heads,  would  give 
the  priests  a  gift  of  coppers  or  a  little  food,  receive  their 
blessing,  draw  their  water,  and  go  their  way.  Pariah 
dogs,  squirrels,  and  little  jungle  birds,  scavenged  for 
crumbs.  I  left  about  three  o'clock,  saluting  the  old  men 
as  I  went  with  a  few  coppers,  and  receiving  a  gracious 
benediction,  coupled  with  a  prayer  for  the  success  of  the 
hunter.  Towards  late  afternoon  I  did  a  little  work  with 
my  shot  gun,  and  as  we  were  driving  home  in  the  dusk 
after  sun  down,  I  shot  a  rabbit,  who  was  scuttling  across 
the  road,  from  the  jolting  seat  of  the  ekka,  as  I  was  con- 
siderably too  lazy  to  stop  and  get  out.  It  rather  sur- 
prised the  driver,  who  was  half  asleep.  The  total  day's 
bag  was:  four  black-buck,  two  hares,  two  brace  of  par- 
tridge, three  brace  of  wild  pigeon,  and  a  splendid  big  wild 
peacock.  I  am  also  sorry  to  say  that  I  wounded  a  black- 
buck  which  got  away.  It  was  a  long  day,  but  a  very  en- 
joyable one,  in  spite  of  the  heat  and  my  dusty  tongue. 

N.B.  It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  rinse  the  fine  inpalpable 
dust  out  of  one's  mouth  with  a  long  cool  drink  on  return- 
ing to  the  bungalow.  Turned  in  early. 

February  24. 

Up  at  six  o  'clock,  and  after  a  good  deal  of  work,  got  two 
splendid  heads,  better  than  any  of  the  others.  A  queer  thing 
happened  this  morning.  While  shooting  at  a  buck,  the 


148  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

bullet  went  through  the  fleshy  part  of  his  hind  leg,  and 
killed  a  doe  on  the  other  side.  My  heel  bothered  me  so 
much  today  that  I  came  home  at  half -past  four.  I  got 
some  more  pigeon  and  quail  en  route.  I  had  to  play 
* '  Protector  of  the  Poor ' '  and  settle  a  dispute  between 
some  villagers  in  a  little  collection  of  huts  I  passed 
through.  It  seems  that  a  theft  had  been  committed  and 
the  case  was  about  to  be  tried  by  the  headman,  but  see- 
ing a  sahib  approaching,  he  sent  out,  according  to  custom, 
to  ask  the  representative  of  the  superior  race  to  act  as 
judge.  At  first  I  was  inclined  to  refuse,  as  I  was  in  a 
hurry,  but  I  reflected  that  any  Englishman  would  do  it, 
as  they  feel  bound  to  always  see  that  the  natives  get  fair 
play,  and  that  were  I  to  refuse,  it  would  detract  from  the 
dignity  and  position  of  the  white  man.  I  accordingly 
signified  my  assent,  and  was  led  into  a  sort  of  open  place 
in  the  middle  of  the  village.  Here  a  chair  was  arranged 
upon  which  I  seated  myself,  while  the  head  man  with  his 
wand  of  office,  took  his  stand  at  my  right  hand  and  my 
shikari,  who  speaks  a  little  English,  did  abide  at  my  left 
side,  to  help  me  give  fair  play.  I  wasn't  able  to  under- 
stand too  much  of  the  proceedings,  but  listened  gravely 
to  a  good  deal  of  talk.  I  gathered  that  somebody  had 
stolen  something.  I  therefore  rapped  for  silence,  and  de- 
livered my  verdict  for  a  punishment  of  twenty  stripes. 
All  bowed  in  token  of  assent,  and  two  sturdy  henchmen 
dragged  forward  the  delinquents.  Here  I  dramatically 
stretched  out  the  hand-of -mercy,  and  remitted  the  punish- 
ment on  condition  that  the  thief  should  restore  what  he 
had  stolen.  This  he  immediately  did,  and  with  tears  in 
his  eyes  crept  forward  and  kissed  my  foot  in  token  of 
thanks  and  submission  to  the  white  sahib's  decision.  I 
suppose  I  should  have  given  them  all  a  good  licking,  but 
really  hadn't  the  heart  to,  as  they  seem  like  so  many 
children.  Gil  and  Purdy  arrive  here  tomorrow.  I've 
been  having  very  "  gamey  "  meals  of  late.  Lovingly, 

AMASA. 


AGRA  151 


AGRA,  February  27,  1908. 

DEAE  Liv:  I  got  your  letter  of  January  twenty-first 
here  yesterday,  and  hadn  't  realized,  until  then,  how  little 
I  had  written  you,  for  as  I  have  been  writing  to  some 
member  of  the  family  almost  every  day,  I  thought  I  had 
written  more  often  to  you.  You  have  certainly  been  a 
'  *  brick  ' '  about  writing  me.  .  . 

As  regards  to  what  I  am  planning  to  do  when  I  get 
back,  I  am  hoping  father  will  give  me  a  job  at  quill-driv- 
ing or  something  in  Pickands,  Mather  and  Company's 
office.  If  he  doesn't  do  that,  however,  and  no  other  good 
job  presents,  I  may  take  a  couple  of  years  of  study -law, 
international  correspondence,  and  modern  languages  - 
and  have  a  try  at  the  diplomatic  exams.  I  have  come  to 
the  conclusion,  however,  that  I  had  better  not  do  this,  at 
least  for  some  time,  since  having  no  cash  of  my  own,  I 
should  have  to  stand  on  someone  else's  financial  feet, 
which,  even  though  I  should  be  serving  my  country,  hard- 
ly appeals  to  me.  I  must  say  that  I  think  that  more 
university  graduates,  who  can  afford  it,  should  go  into 
public  service  of  some  sort,  because  it  strikes  me  that  our 
civil,  consular,  and  diplomatic  services,  are  far  less  ably 
manned  than  those  of  other  countries.  England,  France, 
and  Germany  breed  a  race  of  men  of  the  highest  type,  who 
have  been  accustomed  for  generations  to  serving  their 
country  in  some  such  capacity,  and  who  have  all  the  ben- 
efits of  environment  and  special  education,  while  we  are 
too  often  represented  by  the  Irish  politician  type,  or  the 
man  from  Oshkosh  who  uses  his  fork  as  a  toothpick.  Of 
course  our  positions  are  none  too  well  paid,  but  if  they 
were  sufficiently  well  paid  to  be  desirable  billets  from  a 
financial  point  of  view,  they  would  call  into  existence  an 
equally  objectionable  set  of  officials  going  into  it  for  the 
money  alone.  What  we  want  is  a  set  of  cultured  gentle- 
men, specially  trained,  and  financially  independent,  who 
will  do  their  country  honor  and  good  service  wherever 
they  may  be.  The  trouble  with  this  rosy  picture  is  that 


152  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

in  our  country  men  of  that  type  and  brain  capacity  prefer 
to  enter  business.  We  have  no  ' '  younger  son  precedent. ' ' 
My  last  letter  to  father  ended,  I  think,  with  Monday 
night.  Gil  and  Purdy  came  out  Tuesday  morning.  We 
went  over  Fatehpur  Sikri  again,  enjoyed  a  good  "gamey" 
dinner  from  my  larder,  and  then  Purdy  and  I  drove 
in  to  Agra,  Gil  electing  to  stay  out  another  day  at 
Fatehpur  Sikri.  Purdy  and  I  yarned  and  spun  plans 
all  that  afternoon,  evening,  and  most  of  the  night,  as  we 
really  haven't  seen  much  of  each  other  since  Japan.  I 
have  a  scheme  for  going  back  east  with  him,  cutting  out 
France.  If  carried  out,  it  will  be  something  like  this: 
North  India  and  Kashmir  until  May,  South  India  and 
Ceylon  during  May;  East  Africa  and  Uganda  during 
June,  July,  and  August;  Sumatra  for  a  short  shoot  with 
Van  Heekeren  (with  whom  I  have  kept  up  a  desultory 
correspondence)  during  the  latter  part  of  September; 
Bangkok,  the  Philippines,  in  October,  getting  to  Peking 
by  the  middle  of  November.  The  rest  of  November,  and 
early  December,  after  tiger  in  Manchuria,  with  Straight, 
while  Purdy  visits  Peking,  the  Great  Wall,  Mukden,  and 
Korea,  then  home  in  time  for  Christmas,  either  via  the 
Pacific  and  the  Grand  Canyon,  or  else  Trans-Siberian, 
Moscow,  and  St.  Petersburg.  Of  course  this  is  as  yet  a 
purely  fanciful  hypothesis,  but  it  sounds  good,  doesn't 
it?  I  was  sorry  to  give  up  Persia,  and  it  was  perhaps  a 
mistake  to  do  so,  especially  with  the  fine  letters  we  had, 
but  its  possibility  was  uncertain,  and  suppose  we  had 
gotten  as  far  as  Shiraz,  only  to  have  been  stopped,  it 
would  have  been  a  tremendous  waste  of  time.  I  was  the 
more  disappointed  since  I've  just  finished  reading  James 
Morrier's  Hadji  Babba  of  Ispahan,  a  delightful  tale 
which  you  should  get  and  read  aloud  to  Grace.  It  is  the 
Gil  Bias  of  Persia,  if  I  may  be  permitted  to  say  so.  Yes- 
terday, Purdy  and  I  spent  the  whole  morning  wandering 
about  the  wonderful  rooms,  pavilions,  mosques,  palaces, 
audience  chambers,  and  balconies  of  the  great  fort.  It 


one]  AGRA  153 

was  my  second  visit,  and  thrilled  me  as  much  as  the  first. 
We  tried  to  conjure  up  what  it  must  have  been  in  the  old 
glorious  days,  and  pretended  to  be  Shah  Jehan  and  Akbar 
respectively.  I  selected  the  Jessamine  Tower  as  my  par- 
ticular retreat,  and  we  lounged  here  in  cushioned  ease  in 
the  pierced  marble  balcony,  where  delicate  floral  designs 
are  traced  in  studded  jewels.  The  tower  overhangs  the 
Jumna  and  we  spent  a  couple  of  delightful  hours  here 
dreaming  noble  dreams  and  seeing  splendid  visions. 
Peacocks  strutted  here  and  there,  the  heavy  scent  of 
flowers  and  muscatel  was  wafted  to  us  from  the  grape 
gardens  through  traceried  windows.  Elephants  and  rhi- 
noceroses, lions  and  tigers  were  fighting  in  the  great  dry 
moat  below.  Our  vassal  kings,  princes,  and  rajahs  were 
waiting  for  us  in  the  halls  of  audience  below,  but  we  lin- 
gered on,  listening  to  the  clash  of  the  golden  anklets  and 
the  low  laughter  of  our  dancing  girls  playing  the  human 
parchesi  game  in  an  inner  court  of  the  Harem  where  a 
perfumed  fountain  splashed  lazily  in  the  sunshine.  After 
we  had  taken  a  cold  plunge  in  the  Mirror  Baths  and  eaten 
and  drunk  our  fill  of  the  dainty  fruits  and  rare  vintages 
presented  to  us  on  golden  salvers  and  in  jeweled  goblets 
by  kneeling  slaves,  we  strode  down  to  the  Council  Boom 
in  flowing  purple  and  gold  and  scarlet  robes.  Ten  thou- 
sand bearded  warriors  in  chain  mail  raised  their  spears 
in  unison  to  the  imperial  salute  and  shouted  "All  hail 
Akbar,  Akbar  the  Great ! ' '  Then  slowly  and  sadly  we 
got  into  our  hired  hack  and  drove  away.  Francois  Vil- 
lon's dream  "  If  I  were  king  "  had  been  realized,  and  for 
a  short  time  we  had  tasted  of  the  luxury  of  the  imperial 
power  and  of  the  splendor  of  the  Great  Moguls -now  we 
are  again  merely  wanderers  on  the  terrestrial  ball  which 
spins  on  through  pathless  realms  of  inky  space. 

Gil  came  in  in  time  for  tea,  and  we  spent  the  later  after- 
noon, sunset  and  evening  bell,  at  the  Taj  and  its  gardens. 
My  third  visit -but  how  it  grows  on  one!  I  think  it  is  a 
proof  that  beauty  is  absolute,  not  comparative,  since  hu- 


154  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

manity,  with  a  unanimous  voice  has  declared  it  perfect. 
However  prejudiced  you  may  come  there  by  the  ravings 
of  Cook's  herded  tourists,  or  by  the  familiarity  with 
which  everyone  in  India  alludes  to  it  as  the  "  Taj  "  you 
are  speechless  when  you  see  it;  words  are  inadequate. 
When  you  think  of  what  Shah  Jehan  might  have  done, 
instead  of  this,  terror  seizes  you,  and  you  breathe  a 
prayer  of  thanks  to  his  manes.  You  can't  help  feeling 
that  any  change,  any  difference,  however  slight,  from  what 
it  now  is,  would  have  spoiled  it.  It  is  impossible  to  imag- 
ine an  improvement.  Thank  Heaven  there  are  no  egg- 
shells, no  greasy  scraps  of  paper,  no  ginger  beer  bottles 
lying  about!  Of  course  the  setting -the  silent  mighty 
river,  the  rose  gardens,  and  the  blue  Indian  sky -has 
much  to  do  with  one's  mental  attitude.  If,  for  instance, 
it  were  set  down  in  the  heart  of  New  York,  it  might  seem 
cheap.  I  have  always  thought  the  Madeleine  would  be 
far  finer  if  set  back  in  a  great  green  garden -as  it  is  it 
looks  like  a  bank:  perhaps  because  so  many  banks  have 
been  copied  from  it;  but  nevertheless,  I  repeat,  that  it 
looks  like  a  bank ! 

The  following  little  story,  probably  untrue,  but  typical 
enough  of  the  barbarity  and  splendor  of  the  man  to  have 
been  true,  I  like  well  enough  to  repeat  to  you  here.  When 
the  Taj  was  at  last  completed,  and  rose  in  all  its  stainless 
glory  over  the  tomb  of  his  bride,  Shah  Jehan  had  the 
Venetian  architect  who  designed  this  thing  of  beauty  and 
joy,  brought  into  his  presence.  "Is  it  possible  for  you 
to  build  me  another  building  equally  as  beautiful  as 
this?"  said  the  monarch  with  a  gracious  smile.  With 
visions  of  another  order  dancing  before  his  eyes,  the 
proud  architect  replied  that  he  could.  ' '  Off  to  the  dun- 
geons with  him,"  said  Shah  Jehan,  "  and  burn  out  his 
eyes.  I  won't  have  any  other  building  ever  built  which 
shall  compare  in  beauty  with  this  mausoleum  which  I  have 
raised  to  the  memory  of  My  Arjamand. ' '  And  he  probably 
spoke  the  truth  in  his  rough  tyrannical  way,  for  in  the 


AGRA  157 


first  place,  no  one  is  now,  nor  will  anyone  probably  be 
again,  in  a  position  to  build  such  a  structure.  The  marble, 
the  thousands  of  jewels  inlaid  in  the  designs,  the  golden 
bars  and  rings,  the  silken  hangings  and  curtains,  were  all 
supplied  to  the  Great  Mogul  by  his  vassal  kings  and 
nobles.  The  thousands  of  coolies  who  labored  for  years 
upon  the  work,  were  his  slaves,  and  the  skilled  artisans 
from  all  corners  of  the  globe,  who  did  the  decoration  and 
carving  and  inlaying,  were  paid  out  of  the  treasury  of 
what  was  unquestionably  the  richest  empire  that  ever  ex- 
isted. 

After  dinner  last  night,  comprising  stuffed  peacock  and 
jugged  hare,  Gil  turned  in  early;  but  Purdy  and  I  went 
by  invitation  to  see  a  private  nautch  dance,  part  of  the 
festivities  of  the  three  days'  wedding  ceremonial  of  a 
rich  Hindoo  family.  Guided  by  linkmen,  we  threaded  our 
way  through  the  crooked  streets,  past  lattices  behind 
which  music,  laughter,  and  song  could  be  heard,  and 
brushing  against  dark,  cloaked,  suspicious  looking  fig- 
ures. We  were  made  welcome  by  our  host,  and  seated 
amongst  his  other  guests  in  a  large,  but  very  close  room. 
We  were  crowned  with  flowers,  sprinkled  with  perfume 
and  holy  water,  and  had  our  nails  tinted  with  henna,  as  is 
the  fashion  in  polite  India.  The  bridegroom  was  a  lad  of 
eight,  and  the  bride  only  a  few  years  older.  The  room 
was  crowded  and  everyone  was  very  merry  and  gay. 
From  a  balcony  above  the  ladies  of  the  household  peered 
daringly  down  upon  us  from  behind  screens  which  only 
half-concealed  their  brilliant  eyes  and  draperies.  They 
chattered  incessantly,  and  giggled  at  the  strange  ways  of 
the  white  sahibs.  The  nautch  girls  were  graceful  and 
beautifully  arrayed,  but  we  couldn't  understand  much  of 
the  dance  which  consists  largely  of  posturing  with  reci- 
tatives of  an  epic  nature.  However,  the  silken  clad  audi- 
ence, the  young  bride  and  groom,  the  hospitality  lavishly 
displayed,  the  presents,  the  sweetmeats  passed  around, 
and  the  general  air  of  oriental  festivity  was  very  enter- 


158  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

taining.  About  half-past  one  we  tore  ourselves  away, 
our  host  conducting  us  through  several  dark  courtyards 
to  his  own  door,  and  sending  an  escort  with  us  to  our  hotel. 

Major  Bonsar  arrived  this  morning.  He  was  with  me 
at  Cooch  Behar.  Purdy  and  Gil  have  gone  to  the  fort 
again  this  morning;  I  am  loafing,  writing,  and  chatting 
with  Bonsar.  More  later. 

DELHI,  February  29. 

Thursday  afternoon  we  drove  out  to  Sekundra,  the 
splendid  tomb  of  Akbar.  A  great  sarcophagus  of  black 
marble,  on  the  top  of  which  the  Kohinoor  Diamond  used 
to  sparkle,  holds  the  remains  of  that  iron  ruler,  and  is 
placed  in  the  center  of  a  vast  marble  court  surrounded  by 
an  imposing  battlemented  wall  of  red  sandstone.  We 
left  at  half  past  six  in  the  evening,  taking  dinner  on  the 
train  and  arriving  here  shortly  after  eleven.  We  had  an 
interesting  day  yesterday;  in  the  morning  we  saw  the 
fort  and  palaces  (second,  only  in  the  opinion  of  some,  to 
those  at  Agra  and  in  very  much  the  same  style),  baths, 
shops,  and,  at  the  hour  of  prayer,  the  Great  Mosque.  In 
the  afternoon  we  drove  out  to  the  celebrated  '  *  Eidge  ' ' 
from  which  the  siege  was  conducted  in  the  days  of  the 
mutiny,  and  to  Ferozabad,  one  of  the  several  ruined  and 
now  half -buried  cities  built  practically  on  the  same  site 
as  the  Delhi  of  Jehangir. 

The  Boltons  are  here,  and  we  had  a  very  pleasant  visit 
with  them.  Mrs.  Bolton  was  once  an  American  girl,  but 
is  very  English  now,  except  for  her  ready  wit,  vivacity, 
and  energy.  Today  we  drove  out  eleven  miles  to  the 
beautiful  Kutab  Minar,  built  in  commemoration  of  one 
of  Akbar 's  victories  over  the  Hindoo  races  of  India.  It 
rears  itself,  fierce  and  grim,  like  the  stern  Mohammedan 
invaders  from  Kabul.  Thousands  of  ruins,  Jain,  Hindoo, 
and  Mohammedan,  stud  the  plain  around  Delhi  and  we 
visited  a  great  many  of  them.  The  tomb  of  Mohammed 
Shah,  with  its  marble  doors,  the  most  perfect  of  their 


one]  FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JHELUM  159 

kind  in  the  world,  was  perhaps  the  most  interesting, 
though  we  got  a  great  deal  of  amusement  by  paying  some 
boys  to  leap  down  about  sixty  feet  into  a  small  well  in  a 
Hindoo  temple.  We  also  made  pilgrimages  to  the  shrines 
of  several  holy  men. 

I  have  picked  up  a  shikari  here  called  Sirdar,  a  great 
bearded  Sikh,  and  am  going  out  for  a  few  days'  panther 
hunting  in  the  hills  near  Kosse,  about  seventy  miles  from 
Delhi.  Gil  leaves  tonight  for  the  north,  Amritsar  and 
Lahore,  and  I'm  afraid  it 's  "  a  fond  word,  and  then  we 
sever,"  for  as  he  is  very  anxious  to  get  to  Europe  and 
meet  his  father,  he  is  going  to  hurry  through  India  and 
plans  to  leave  Ceylon  in  about  three  weeks.  Purdy  will 
stay  here  two  days  longer  and  then  go  north  through 
Amritsar  and  Lahore,  subsequently  meeting  me  in  Rawal- 
pindi, whence  we  go  to  Kashmir  for  a  trip  which  we  have 
at  present  limited  to  two  weeks,  but  which  I  still  have 
sneaking  hopes  may  develop  into  something  more  — a 
shoot  in  the  mountains  perhaps,  or  a  journey  of  twenty 
days  across  the  mountains  to  Leh,  the  capital  of  the 
Ladak.  Purdy  is,  however,  very  anxious  to  get  home  by 
September  tenth,  and  if  we  travel  together,  as  per  pres- 
ent plans,  I  must  limit  Kashmir  and  cut  out  Sumatra  and 
Africa  altogether.  I  hate  to  do  this,  as  they  are  my  three 
pet  places,  but  otherwise  we  will  both  be  companionless, 
as  I'm  afraid  Heath  Woolsey  has  given  up  the  idea  of 
joining  me  in  Africa.  In  this  event  I  leave  Purdy  at  Muk- 
den early  in  August,  and  go  across  the  Trans-Siberian, 
meeting  Heath  in  Tours  for  our  three  months  study  there 
together.  As  ever,  AM. 

FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JHELUM,  Kashmir,  March  13,  1908. 

DEAR  FATHER  :  The  last  letter  home  I  wrote  was,  I  be- 
lieve, to  Liv,  from  Delhi,  about  two  weeks  agone,  and 
since  then  I  have  not  been  able  to  write,  as  the  few  times 
I've  had  any  leisure,  I've  been  out  with  only  camping 


160  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

kit,  so  to  speak,  and  have  not  had  any  writing  materials 
with  me. 

The  shooting  trip  after  panther,  which  I  think  I  men- 
tioned to  Liv  when  being  about  to  start,  was  barren  of 
results,  but  interesting  and  not  uneventful.  We  (Sirdar, 
my  boy,  a  shikari,  and  I)  got  on  a  slow  train  at  midnight 
and  traveled  four  hours  in  a  third  class  carriage  with 
coolies  to  a  miserable  little  collection  of  huts  called 
Kosse.  Here  we  laid  us  down  in  the  cold  station  waiting 
room,  and  slept  till  dawn.  My  boy  was  so  wild-eyed  when 
I  woke  him  that  he  started  pouring  the  hot  water  into 
the  tea  caddy,  so  that  I  had  to  make  the  tea  and  fry  the 
bacon  myself.  I  forgot  to  say  that  while  waiting  for  our 
train  in  the  Delhi  station,  an  English  police  sergeant 
came  up,  and  taking  me  aside  asked  me  if  I  were  going 
out  shooting  with  that  big  Sikh  he  saw  with  me.  I  said 
*'  Yes,  why?  "  and  he  said  he  wouldn't  go  if  he  were  I, 
that  Sirdar  was  a  mighty  bad  character,  whom  they  were 
only  waiting  for  an  excuse  to  arrest,  as  he  was  breeding 
sedition,  etc.  I  told  him  that  all  I  wanted  was  sport,  and 
that  if  Sirdar  could  show  me  what  he  had  promised,  I 
would  be  satisfied  and  didn't  care  about  his  politics.  I 
suppose  I  really  shouldn't  have  gone,  but  I  didn't  like  to 
back  out  at  the  last  moment.  However,  it  put  me  on  my 
guard,  and  I  strapped  on  my  45  colt  automatic,  which  I 
never  took  off,  sleeping  or  waking,  till  I  got  back  to 
Delhi.  Well,  about  half  past  six  we  got  some  ekkas,  and 
started  off.  Then  came  the  first  instance  of  Sirdar's 
deceit,  for  he  had  told  me  that  the  village  at  which  we 
should  stay  was  only  about  two  hours'  drive  from  the 
station,  but  after  going  three  we  hadn't  got  there,  and 
coming  to  a  fine  stretch  of  tree  and  thorn  jungle  I  entered 
it  with  Sirdar  and  the  shikari,  sending  the  ekkas  on 
ahead.  I  hunted  this  jungle  till  one  o'clock,  and  it  was 
the  most  interesting  I've  ever  been  in.  Not  tall,  thick, 
wavy  grass,  swampy  and  impenetrable,  like  Cooch  Behar, 
nor  flat,  hot,  and  dry  like  that  around  Fatehpur  Sikri, 


one]  FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JIIELUM  161 

but  a  regular  Kipling  jungle  -  dark  with  the  heavy  shade 
of  trees,  and  peopled  with  the  wonderful  jungle  folk. 
Monkeys  in  myriads  were  swinging  about,  and  gamboling 
on  the  steps  of  a  vast  sunken  tank,  forming  part  of  the 
ruins  of  some  old  forgotten  Hindoo  temple  which  we 
came  across  half  buried  and  overgrown,  and  reminding 
me  of  "  The  Cold  Lairs."  Wild  peacocks  were  running 
about,  and  smaller  birds  of  brilliant  plumage  flitted  on 
before  us.  I  saw  a  fox  and  several  hares  and  jackals, 
and  once  a  small  pack  of  wolves  trotting  by  stopped  and 
looked  at  us.  There  were  wild  boars -one  tremendous 
old  tusker  that  I  had  half  a  mind  to  shoot -deer  and  blue- 
bull,  to  say  nothing  of  huge  alligators  basking  on  the 
muddy  banks  of  a  slimy  green  river.  I  shot  nothing  as 
I  was  out  for  panther,  bear,  or  a  blue-bull  with  good  horns, 
which  I  didn't  see,  and  didn't  wish  to  alarm  the  jungle 
else.  It  was  a  wonderfully  interesting  time,  however,  and 
I  longed  for  my  kodak.  We  came  out  about  one  o  'clock, 
and  tramped  on  a  mile  or  so  to  the  village.  Here  my 
boy,  Hammidigarry,  met  me  and  said  that  as  the  place 
was  plague- stricken,  he  hadn't  dared  buy  anything  and 
was  afraid  to  stop.  However,  I  was  pretty  empty,  so  we 
camped  on  a  hill  nearby,  drank  some  bottled  soda,  and 
ate  up  the  balance  of  our  provisions.  Sirdar  had  told 
me  not  to  bother  about  bringing  out  much,  as  we  could 
buy  fowls,  eggs,  rice,  and  vegetables  from  the  villagers. 
When  I  upbraided  him  for  not  having  ascertained  the 
condition  of  the  village  at  which  he  had  intended  to 
camp,  he  said  that  this  wasn't  really  the  place,  but  a  vil- 
lage a  little  farther  on  in  the  rocky  hills  where  the  pan- 
thers were  very  numerous  and  where  there  would  surely 
be  no  plague.  As  the  track  from  here  was  very  bad  for 
the  light  ekkas,  we  got  a  bullock  cart  for  the  luggage, 
which  he  said  would  surely  get  there  by  four  o  'clock,  and 
set  out  ourselves  ahead  on  foot.  On  the  way  we  saw 
some  chinkara-buck  in  a  low  grass  jungle,  and  I  went 
over  to  get  a  shot  at  them  for  meat.  Now  Sirdar  had 


162  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

always  posed  as  being  a  very  experienced  hunter  and  a 
splendid  shot,  saying  that  he  was  famous  for  shooting 
black  and  chinkara  buck  on  the  run  at  five  hundred  yards, 
a  feat  which  he  never  missed.  As  the  animals  are  not  as 
big  as  the  small  red  deer,  I  had  my  doubts !  He  used  also 
to  assume  a  very  protective  attitude  towards  me,  saying 
that  whenever  there  were  any  panther  about -if,  for  in- 
stance, we  were  watching  over  a  '  *  kill  "  or  '  '  driving  ' '  - 
he  would  stay  by  me  and  shoot  himself,  in  case  of  neces- 
sity. Being  alone,  I  thought  he  might  come  in  handy  in 
case  of  a  wounded  animal,  and  had  accordingly  borrowed 
for  him  Purdy's  mannlicher,  and  carefully  explained  its 
entire  mechanism  to  him,  though  he  seemed  very  familiar 
with  guns.  He  had  some  delightful  tales,  by  the  way,  of 
his  daring  experiences  on  other  shoots,  once  when  a 
wounded  panther  attacked  the  sportsmen  with  him,  he 
held  the  beast  off  by  the  throat  with  his  mighty  left  arm 
while  he  shot  it  with  a  rifle  held  in  his  right  hand  !  Well, 
we  crawled  up  to  within  say  one  hundred  and  eighty 
yards  of  the  chinkara  buck,  and  I  was  kneeling  and  about 
to  fire  when  a  thing  happened  which  I  can  not  to  this  day 
tell  was  accident  or  design.  If  design,  it  was  badly 
bungled.  Sirdar,  who  was  about  twenty  feet  behind  me, 
whispered  that  he  wanted  to  shoot.  I  said  no,  I  would  do 
all  the  shooting.  Then  he  said  * '  Wait  till  I  get  ready, 
anyway,  so  that  if  you  miss  I  can  get  him,  as  we  need 
fresh  meat."  I  thought  this  sounded  reasonable,  so  I 
said  "All  right,  tell  me  when  you're  ready."  The  next 
thing  I  knew  his  rifle  went  off -bang!  grazing  the  top  of 
my  hat,  and  not  going  anywhere  near  the  buck.  I  was 
pretty  angry,  as  he  had  frightened  them  away,  and  by  the 
time  I  had  run  back,  hit  him,  and  taken  his  gun  away 
from  him,  and  he  had  explained  to  me  that  it  was  the 
hair-trigger  which  made  him  fire  too  soon,  the  buck  had 
gotten  so  far  away  that  I  missed  a  couple  of  flying  shots 
at  them.  I  daresay  the  thing  was  accidental,  but  it 
seemed  strange  for  a  man  who  professed  himself  so  ac- 


one]  FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JHELUM  163 

customed  to  handling  firearms,  and  it  certainly  upset  my 
nerves  for  the  time  being. 

It  was  five  o'clock  when  we  reached  the  barren  little 
mud  village,  nestled  into  a  wild  valley  in  the  midst  of  high 
rocky  hills  covered  with  tree  jungle.  The  rest-house 
which  Sirdar  had  spoken  of  in  an  off-hand  sort  of  way 
proved  to  be  a  myth,  so  we  made  arrangements  to  use  the 
dirty  hut  of  one  of  the  villagers.  I  then  went  off  and 
bought  some  goats  with  the  shikari,  and  tied  them  in  the 
most  likely  places  we  could  find  near  some  caves.  It 
seemed  like  an  ideal  place  for  panther,  as  a  child  had  been 
carried  away  from  the  house  next  to  ours  two  nights  ago, 
and  several  goats  yesterday.  The  tracks  showed  several 
large  panthers  about,  but  the  villagers  had  no  weapons. 
They  hailed  my  advent  as  that  of  a  savior.  We  got  back 
to  the  village  about  eight  o'clock,  but  the  bullock  cart 
didn't  put  in  an  appearance  till  nine,  and  meanwhile  I 
found  that  we  couldn't  buy  any  food  here  as  the  place  was 
on  the  verge  of  a  famine  -  people  were  actually  starving ! 
I  gave  one  of  my  coolies  some  money  to  go  and  buy  a 
chicken  and  some  eggs  at  another  village,  and  he  said  he 
would  have  them  by  breakfast  time,  but  they  really  didn't 
appear  until  tiffin  next  day.  Sirdar  then  began  figuring 
out  what  he  thought  the  whole  expedition  would  cost,  and 
tried  to  get  me  to  give  him  a  lot  of  money  to  pay  all  ex- 
penses as  they  came  up,  and  save  me  the  bother.  For 
instance,  he  wanted  to  engage  some  watchmen,  as  he  said 
there  were  a  lot  of  thieves  and  dacoits  about.  I  didn't 
trust  him,  however,  and  by  paying  everything  myself,  and 
seeing  that  it  went  to  those  who  earned  it  and  not  into  his 
pocket,  I  reduced  the  total  expenses  in  the  end  to  nearly 
one-third  of  what  he  had  said  it  would  cost.  As  for  the 
dacoits,  I  told  him  I  trusted  a  great  deal  more  to  my  own 
firearms  than  to  any  timid  rascally  half-starved  Indian 
watchmen.  Then  showing  him  my  revolver,  I  added  that 
I  was  awfully  quick  with  it,  a  dead  shot,  and  a  very  light 
sleeper,  and  that  I  was  the  kind  of  a  chap  who,  if  I  saw 


164  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

anything  suspicious,  would  shoot  first  and  ask  questions 
afterwards.  All  this,  of  course,  I  intended  more  as  a 
warning  to  him  than  anything  else. 

The  carts  arrived,  and  we  had  some  tea  shortly  after- 
wards. After  giving  my  boy  and  a  couple  of  coolies  injunc- 
tions to  look  after  the  luggage  and  extra  rifles,  I  set  out 
across  the  hills  with  the  shikari,  who  seemed  honest  and 
capable  (and  as  my  boy,  who  hated  Sirdar,  discovered, 
very  much  opposed  to  Sirdar  and  his  methods,  since  the 
latter  had  engaged  him  once  before  to  hunt  for  an  Eng- 
lishman and  had  pocketed  nearly  all  his  wages,  he  not  be- 
ing able  to  explain,  as  the  Englishman  left  the  whole 
thing  in  Sirdar's  hands).  I  explained  to  him  through  my 
boy  that  I  would  pay  him  and  the  coolies  personally,  and 
give  them  good  backsheesh  if  their  work  was  satisfactory. 
Sirdar,  meanwhile,  was  arranging  with  the  head  man  of 
the  village,  for  a  lot  of  men  to  drive  the  hills  with  next 
day,  and  I  imagine  that  if  he  intended  to  rob  me,  as  my 
boy  seemed  fully  convinced,  he  would  tell  his  own  story 
to  them,  and  get  the  villagers  on  his  side.  Of  course  I 
made  some  allowance  for  the  fact  that  my  boy  was  a  Hin- 
doo and  Sirdar  a  Mohammedan -but  then  so  was  the 
shikari,  who  also  distrusted  him,  and  I  thought  it  best  to 
be  prepared.  I  couldn't  help  but  feel  a  sort  of  admira- 
tion for  the  man,  if  he  had  planned  the  whole  affair  to 
fix  me,  as  he  had  certainly  managed  to  get  me  into  an  out- 
of-the-way  hole,  surrounded  by  plague,  dacoits,  panthers, 
and  jungle.  He  was  a  clever  chap,  too,  in  his  way,  had 
received  an  English  education,  and  was  carrying  about 
with  him  a  copy  of  Stevenson's  Dr.  Jekyll  and  Mr.  Hyde. 
He  told  me  a  lot  of  truly  magnificent  lies,  the  only  one 
which  I  have  so  far  mentioned  being  the  mistake  about 
the  distance  of  the  village  from  the  railway  station,  it 
having  taken  us  practically  a  whole  day  to  get  there,  in- 
stead of  two  hours ;  nor  had  he  made  any  mention  of  the 
impoverished  condition  of  the  people,  the  plague,  or  the 
dacoits,  before  we  left  Delhi. 


one]  FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JHELUM  165 

It  was  hard  work  scrambling  over  the  rocks  and  thorns 
and  up  and  down  almost  precipitous  slopes  in  the  dark 
with  a  loaded  rifle,  but  we  finally  got  to  where  we  had  left 
the  goats  without  making  very  much  noise,  and  took  up 
our  position  on  a  big  boulder,  within  fifteen  yards  of  one 
of  them. 

The  place  was  about  half  way  down  a  narrow  rocky 
cleft  in  the  hills,  so  that  although  the  night  was  clear  and 
starlit,  is  was  very  dark  where  we  were.  In  fact,  al- 
together too  dark  for  my  purpose,  as  after  waiting  until 
about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  in  the  cold  shadows - 
silent  except  for  the  bleatings  of  the  terrified  goats,  even 
these  suddenly  stopped  and  we  knew  it  was  because  a 
panther  was  near.  The  keen  eyes  of  the  shikari  made 
out  their  bulk -for  there  were  two  of  them -long  before 
I  did,  but  even  he  could  not  distinguish  anything  definite- 
ly. It  was  simply  a  matter  of  two  dim  indistinct  shadows, 
darker  than  the  other  shadows,  slipping  noiselessly  from 
gloom  to  gloom.  They  seemed  to  melt  into  the  shadows 
about  them,  and  whenever  I  looked  along  the  sights  of  my 
rifle,  they  would  be  nowhere  -  only  I  could  tell  they  were 
there  somewhere,  moving.  Twice  I  caught  a  momentary 
gleam  of  eye  balls,  but  they  were  gone  again  before  I 
could  take  aim,  and  I  didn't  like  to  fire  unless  I  was  sure 
of  my  target,  since  if  I  missed,  it  would  frighten  them 
away  altogether,  and  if  I  only  wounded  one -well,  a 
wounded  panther  fifty  feet  away  in  the  dark,  is  a  bit  fool- 
hardy, isn't  it?  They  could  tell  there  were  men  about, 
for  after  circling  about  us  quite  close,  as  the  tracks  next 
morning  conclusively  proved,  they  went  off  without  at- 
tempting to  touch  the  poor  old  goat  who  presently  began 
bleating  again.  Feeling  that  it  was  useless  to  stay  in 
such  a  dark  place  longer,  and  pinning  my  faith  on  the 
drive  next  morning,  I  soon  left,  and  we  picked  our  way 
back  to  the  village,  arriving  there  a  little  after  four.  I 
put  all  my  belongings  in  the  cleanest  room  of  the  hut 
(mud  floor  and  walls,  and  thatched  mud  roof)  and  slept 


166  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

there  until  half  past  six,  with  my  boy  lying  just  inside  and 
the  shikari  just  outside  the  door. 

Next  morning  after  breakfast  of  tea  and  rice,  we  mar- 
shalled the  whole  town  together,  and  the  head  man  ex- 
plained that  I  had  come  like  St.  George  of  old  to  rid  the 
town  of  the  panther-dragon  (I  fully  expected  by  this  time 
to  bag  a  whole  flock) .  He  added  by  way  of  afterthought 
that  I  would  liberally  remunerate  all  such  as  would  un- 
dertake the  perilous  task  of  beaters,  and  provide  for  the 
widows  and  orphans  of  such  as  fell  on  the  field  of  glory. 
We  finally  managed  to  get  sixty  men  and  boys  together, 
and  I  made  Sirdar  take  a  list  of  their  names  in  case  of 
accident.  I  then  took  a  picture  of  my  gallant  army  in 
front  of  "  my  residence  "  with  Sirdar  posed  statuesquely 
in  the  foreground,  and  we  set  out.  Now  comes  another 
queer  example  of  Sirdar's  behavior.  Feeling  that  as 
there  seemed  to  be  so  many  in  the  neighborhood,  two  or 
more  panthers  might  come  out  at  once,  I  gave  Sirdar  the 
extra  mannlicher  again,  and  told  him  he  could  come  along 
with  me  and  shoot  in  case  of  necessity.  (My  theory  was 
that  even  if  he  had  tried  to  shoot  me  before,  a  man  who  had 
missed  such  an  easy  mark  at  that  distance  was  not  much 
to  be  feared.)  Sirdar,  however,  elected  to  climb  along 
the  top  of  the  long  ridge  upon  which  the  extreme  right  of 
the  driving  line  rested.  This  ridge  flanked  one  side  of 
the  rocky  valley  where  most  of  the  caves  were,  and  upon 
which  our  little  glen  of  last  night  opened.  His  idea  he 
said,  was  that  he  could  keep  the  beaters  up  to  their  work 
better,  and  that  in  case  any  panthers  should  try  to  break 
straight  up  the  steep  side  of  the  nullah  (valley)  he  would 
be  able  to  shoot  and  drive  them  back  to  me.  I  took  up 
my  first  position  at  the  head  of  the  valley,  where  it  was  so 
narrow  that  only  two  men  could  march  abreast,  and 
where  nothing  could  possibly  get  by  me.  The  sides  of  the 
valley  were  very  steep  and  the  natural  instinct  of  the  an- 
imal, if  driven  from  his  den,  would  be  to  rush  up  the  val- 
ley away  from  the  beaters,  trying  to  get  out  at  my  end  and 


FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JHELTJM  169 

seek  other  retreats  in  the  hills.  I  had  the  shikari  with 
me,  holding  my  express,  and  the  head  coolie,  who  had  done 
a  little  shikari  work,  holding  my  paradox  loaded  with  ball, 
also  my  trusty  Thermos  bottle  loaded  with  cold  soda  and 
lime  juice,  as  it  was  very  hot.  The  villagers  didn't  beat 
very  well,  as  instead  of  advancing  up  the  nullah  in  an 
even  line  close  together,  they  split  into  groups  of  four  or 
five  for  safety,  with  spaces  of  from  thirty  to  forty  feet 
between.  They  made  plenty  of  noise  and  threw  lots  of 
stones  into  the  bush,  but  I  daresay  several  animals  struck 
quietly  back  through  their  straggling  line  unseen  -  for  at 
any  rate,  nothing  came  up  to  me  but  some  deer  and  wild 
boar,  which  I  allowed  to  circle  past  me  up  the  steep  slope 
within  easy  rifle  range.  Sirdar  irritated  me  considerably 
by  striding  up  and  down  on  top  of  the  hill  with  Purdy's 
rifle  in  the  hollow  of  his  arm,  shouting  orders  and  advice 
and  behaving  generally  as  though  he  were  my  fellow 
sportsman  instead  of  kitmagar  (general  manager).  We 
struck  across  over  the  hills  to  another  valley,  which  we  in- 
tended to  drive,  but  on  the  way  we  came  to  the  place 
where  I  had  tied  the  second  goat  the  night  before.  He 
had  been  killed  and  dragged  away.  We  cautiously  fol- 
lowed the  blood  spoor  up  to  the  mouth  of  a  cave  in  the  side 
of  a  hill.  There  were  a  couple  of  stunted  trees  growing 
just  at  the  mouth,  which  was  about  three  feet  high,  and 
dark.  I  exchanged  the  mannlicher  for  the  double-bar- 
reled express,  and  stooping  waddled  into  the  cave  on  my 
knees  with  the  gun  at  full  cock,  nerves  on  the  qui  vive, 
and  eyes  straining  into  the  gloom.  The  two  boys  fol- 
lowed with  the  spare  guns,  but  Sirdar  scrambled  up  to  a 
point  of  vantage  above  the  cave  and  gave  me  the  benefit 
of  his  advice  and  encouragement.  He  explained  at  con- 
siderable length  that  he  was  there  to  rid  the  country  of 
the  pest  in  case  it  should  get  out  of  another  hole  in  the 
back  of  the  cave.  A  black  rage  had  been  slowly  boiling 
up  inside  of  me  ever  since  leaving  Delhi ;  partly  at  Sirdar, 
partly  at  the  unnecessary  discomfort  of  the  trip,  and  part- 


170  EXTBACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

ly  at  the  fact  that  I  hadn't  gotten  anything.  It  was  all 
concentrated  upon  the  panther  now.  I  wanted  to  take  it 
out  of  him.  Imagine  my  disappointment,  therefore,  after 
hearing  an  encouraging  snarl  and  grunt,  as  I  crept  in,  to 
have  him  escape  by  a  hole  at  the  back -or  side,  rather,  as 
the  cave  turned  after  entering.  Sirdar  and  those  outside 
were  the  only  ones  who  saw  anything  of  him,  and  Sirdar, 
the  great  Sirdar,  who  gets  his  chinkara  buck  running  at 
five  hundred  yards  every  time,  missed  him  clean  at  twenty 
paces!  The  shooting  and  beating  had  made  so  much 
noise  in  the  hills  that  I  decided  it  was  useless  to  hunt 
again  till  late  afternoon,  and  as  it  was  now  after  eleven, 
we  started  back  towards  the  village.  I  bagged  a  couple 
of  sand  grouse  en  route,  which  replenished  our  larder  a 
bit,  though  they  went  the  way  of  all  flesh  that  very  day  at 
tiffin.  After  tiffin,  I  went  out,  and  after  much  hard  work 
creeping  about,  missing  twice  and  wounding  one  that  got 
away,  I  secured  a  chinkara  buck  in  addition  to  a  couple  of 
brace  of  pigeon.  I  gave  all  the  meat  my  own  boys 
couldn't  use  to  the  hungry  villagers.  At  five,  I  went  up 
to  a  pool -the  only  one  in  the  neighborhood,  where  the 
denizens  of  the  hills  are  supposed  to  drink  morning  and 
evening,  and  where  I  had  had  another  goat  tied,  resolved 
to  get  a  panther,  if  possible.  I  hadn't  been  watching 
there -sitting  on  the  forked  limb  of  a  tree -more  than 
half  an  hour  before  Sirdar  appeared  with  a  man  whom  he 
said  brought  a  message  from  the  superintendent  of  that 
district  to  the  effect  that  there  was  to  be  no  more  shooting 
of  game  or  birds  till  the  middle  of  August.  I  found  out 
from  my  boy  that  the  man  had  actually  delivered  this  mes- 
sage, but  don't  know  but  that  he  had  been  put  up  to  it 
by  the  wily  Sirdar,  who  found  he  wasn't  making  much 
out  of  the  trip,  for  it  doesn't  seem  possible  that  the  super- 
intendent would  have  sent  out  any  such  order,  it  being  the 
open  season  everywhere  else.  At  any  rate,  there  was  no 
use  hanging  around  there  now,  as  it  would  take  a  couple 
of  days  to  ascertain  if  the  order  was  bona  fide,  so  I  deter- 


one] FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JHELUM 171 

mined  to  leave  at  once.  There  was  a  train  from  Kosse 
to  Delhi  at  eight  in  the  morning,  which  we  could  catch 
by  leaving  at  once  and  traveling  most  of  the  night.  We 
accordingly  went  back  to  the  village,  had  a  substantial 
dinner,  packed  up,  and  procured  a  bullock  cart.  Sirdar, 
in  the  meantime,  with  his  usual  energetic  thoughtfulness, 
had  procured  a  couple  of  scarecrows  to  act  as  guards,  as 
he  said  he  was  afraid  we  should  be  attacked  by  dacoits 
before  we  reached  Kosse.  I  paid  off  all  the  beaters  my- 
self, as  well  as  the  owners  of  the  goats,  and  gave  the  head 
man  a  little  present,  also  some  empty  soda  bottles,  which 
he  seemed  to  fancy.  The  village  sprawled  up  the  side  of 
a  hill,  and  from  the  courtyard  before  my  house,  I  could 
look  out  over  quite  a  stretch  of  countryside,  dim  'neath 
the  starlight.  About  ten  miles  off  the  blaze  of  a  great 
bonfire  was  stabbing  the  sky.  According  to  Sirdar,  it  is 
a  custom  for  rich  Hindoos  to  have  a  fire  blazing  on  the 
flat  top  of  their  houses  on  certain  nights  of  the  year,  to 
advertise  the  fact,  that,  in  accordance  with  a  vow,  they 
will  keep  open-house  and  dispense  free  hospitality  to 
neighbors  and  wayfarers.  Everyone  is  made  welcome. 
This  fire  was  therefore,  the  ' '  at  home  ' '  card  of  some 
famous  philanthropist  of  the  next  village.  I  should  like 
very  much  to  have  gone  over,  had  I  had  the  time,  as  it 
would  have  been  an  interesting  experience.  All  sorts 
of  people  would  have  dropped  in  during  the  course  of  the 
night,  entertainment  and  refreshment  would  undoubtedly 
have  been  offered  by  the  host,  perhaps  a  troupe  of  stroll- 
ing jugglers  or  musicians,  would  have  furnished  a  pleas- 
ant hour's  diversion,  some  pilgrims  might  have  told  us 
their  experiences,  and  the  village  patriarch  recounted 
how,  in  the  days  of  his  youth,  a  great  black  panther  crept 
into  his  father's  house  and  tried  to  steal  him  as  a  little 
child  from  his  bed,  and  how  his  elder  brother  drove  the 
creature  away  with  a  firebrand.  While  I  was  indulging 
in  fancies  of  this  sort,  Sirdar  announced  that  the  bullock 
cart  was  ready  and  offered  to  make  it  comfortable  with 


172  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

blankets  so  that  I  could  sleep,  while  he  said  he  would  sit 
up  with  a  rifle  and  keep  guard  over  me  and  the  luggage. 
I  didn't  trust  the  gentleman,  however,  but  packed  the 
rifles  away  and  kept  awake  myself  with  a  revolver. 
Needless  to  add,  no  dacoits  appeared.  The  night  was 
cold  and  brilliant,  and  I  enjoyed  the  long  ride,  though  it 
was  tedious  and  uncomfortable.  We  passed  through  one 
village  where  a  celebration  was  going  on -lights,  fires, 
song,  dance,  incense,  and  a  great  beating  of  tom-toms. 
This  holy  spot  was  the  supposed  birthplace  of  Vishnu, 
and  every  night  of  this  month,  which  is  sacred  to  that 
diety,  he  must  be  worshipped  and  propitiated  in  this  man- 
ner. About  one  o'clock  we  stopped,  lit  a  fire,  and  all 
hands  sat  around  it  to  enjoy  a  smoke,  while  the  driver 
went  off  to  his  brother-in-law's,  who  lived  near  by,  and 
got  another  bullock  to  expedite  matters.  I  got  out  and 
walked  for  the  last  hour  and  a  half  before  reaching  Kosse. 
The  only  thing  Sirdar  managed  to  get  during  this  interval 
was  a  canteen  which  I  had  lent  him  for  the  trip,  and  which 
I  had  seen  him  hang  around  his  neck,  but  which  had  now 
unaccountably  gotten  "lost."  While  walking  ahead  of 
the  cart  once,  I  suddenly  turned  back  to  find  that  my 
mannlicher  had  just  ' '  fallen  out ' '  of  the  cart,  and  that 
Sirdar  was  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  road  holding  it, 
and  about  to  "  put  it  back."  It  was  undamaged,  and  I 
put  it  carefully  away  myself,  my  own  idea  being  that  Sir- 
dar had  intended  to  hide  it  by  the  roadside,  telling  me  it 
was  lost,  and  coming  back  for  it  later.  Poor  chap,  he 
didn't  make  much  out  of  me,  I'm  afraid,  as  I  only  paid 
him  half  wages  on  account  of  poor  management,  gave  him 
no  backsheesh,  deducted  the  price  of  the  canteen  he  had 
* '  lost ' '  and  reported  him  to  the  Delhi  police  as  ' '  sus- 
picious." 

Well,  we  got  to  Kosse  at  four-thirty,  slept  in  the  sta- 
tion till  seven  in  the  morning,  then  had  some  tea  and  cold 
antelope  meat  and  took  the  train  at  eight.  Another  slow 
ride  in  a  third  class  carriage  (the  trains  which  stop  at 


FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JHELUM  175 

these  small  stations  only  carry  third  class  carriages, 
catering  to  native  travel)  which  brought  me  to  Delhi  at 
noon.  I  bathed  and  repacked,  and  left  that  night  at  ten, 
forty-five  for  Rawalpindi.  By  bribing  the  station  master 
I  had  a  whole  compartment  to  myself  and  slept  until 
eight  o  'clock  the  next  morning.  I  narrowly  escaped  miss- 
ing the  train  at  Amritsar,  where  I  had  got  down  to  get 
breakfast.  It  started  unexpectedly,  and  as  the  door  of 
my  carriage  was  locked  by  the  guard,  I  ran  along  and 
jumped  up  on  the  outside  and  climbed  in  at  the  window, 
just  as  we  cleared  the  station,  to  the  huge  delight  of  the 
bystanders. 

At  Lahore,  gallant  Purdy  joined  me -whither  he  had 
preceded  me  the  day  before,  Gil  having  started  for  Eu- 
rope direct  from  Delhi,  via  Jeypore,  Bombay,  Madras, 
and  Colombo  -  and  we  had  a  pleasant  afternoon  together, 
arriving  at  Pindi  at  six  o  'clock.  The  hotels  were  all  full, 
as  it  was  the  headquarters  for  the  concentration  of  troops 
for  the  war  with  the  Zakka  Kheels,  and  there  was  to  be  an 
'  *  assault  at  arms  ' '  the  next  day.  We  managed  to  get  a 
tent,  however,  and  were  comfortable,  though  a  bit  cold. 
Although  there  had  been  bad  weather  recently,  and  no  one 
had  as  yet  been  over,  as  there  was  still  snow  in  the  passes, 
we  made  arrangements  (and  very  expensive  ones  at  that) 
with  Dhanjibhoy  and  Son,  who  carry  the  government  mail 
to  Kashmir,  to  take  us  over  to  Serinagur  in  three  days. 
Accordingly,  the  next  morning  at  eight,  we  started  in  two 
tongas  (two- wheeled  carts  drawn  by  three  ponies),  one 
for  ourselves  and  a  little  baggage,  and  the  other  for  our 
boys,  bedding,  tiffin  basket,  etc.  These  tongas  are  drawn 
by  three  sturdy  little  mountain  ponies,  which  are  changed 
at  post  stations  every  five  or  six  miles,  and  go  their 
whole  stage  up  and  down  hill  at  a  fast  trot  or  swinging 
gallop.  On  and  up  we  dashed  in  the  cold  clear  air  -  sing- 
ing and  shouting  and  joking,  and  imagining  all  sorts  of 
fine  things  in  the  exuberance  of  our  spirits.  As  we 
mounted  gradually  higher  into  the  mountains,  the  air 


176  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

grew  colder  and  at  noon  we  were  among  the  clouds,  and 
a  heavy  snowstorm  had  set  in.  The  top  of  the  pass  is 
about  eight  thousand  five  hundred  feet.  Two  o'clock 
found  us  cold  and  cramped  at  the  little  hamlet  of  Murree, 
seven  thousand  four  hundred  feet.  As  we  were  the  first 
people  to  enter  the  valley  this  year,  the  inn  was  not 
opened,  but  we  effected  an  entrance,  lit  a  fire  in  one  of 
the  bedroom  grates  and  sent  off  a  coolie  to  the  native 
bazaar  for  a  dozen  eggs.  I  fried  these  over  the  coals  on 
a  tin  plate,  and  with  tea  and  biscuits  from  our  tiffin  bas- 
ket, and  the  ever  ready  pipe,  we  staved  off  the  pangs  of 
hunger.  Our  pipes  helped  us  much  on  this  cold  trip,  and 
put  me  in  mind  of  a  queer  old  English  lilt  which  runs 
something  after  this  fashion,  I  trow: 

But  when  the  smoke  ascends  on  high 
Think  thou  behold 'st  the  vanity, 
Of  worldly  stuff,  gone  with  a  puff, 
Thus  think,  then  drink,  tobacco. 

But  when  the  pipe  grows  foul  within, 
Think  of  thy  soul  denied  with  sin 
And  that  the  fire  doth  it  require, 
Thus  think,  then  drink,  tobacco. 

The  ashes  that  are  left  behind 
May  seem  to  put  thee  still  in  mind 
That  unto  dust  return  thou  must; 
Thus  think,  then  drink,  tobacco. 

Cheerful,  isn't  it? 

That  night  at  seven  we  reached  Kohala,  having  come 
sixty-four  miles.  There  was  a  snug  little  rest-house  here, 
and  we  had  a  cozy  dinner  before  an  open  fire  and  con- 
tinued making  plans  for  the  future.  I  gloated  over  one 
of  Haggard's  Wild  African  tales  -A  llan  Quartermain. 
Next  morning  we  were  away  by  half  past  seven,  the 
scenery  becoming  grander  all  of  the  time,  though  we  were 
working  down  now  along  the  splendid  river  gorge.  We 
had  tiffin  at  Domel,  and  pushed  on  to  the  comfortable  Dak 


FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JHELUM 179 

Bungalow  at  Uri  that  night,  reaching  there  a  little  after 
dark.  The  post  road  is  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made, 
sometimes  clinging  like  an  eyelash  to  the  face  of  a  sheer 
cliff,  and  winding  its  way  through  the  mountains  in  a 
very  remarkable  manner.  On  this  day  we  had  our  first 
consecutive  glimpse  of  the  real  Kashmiri,  almost  as  white 
as  we  were,  but  dirtier  if  possible.  We  had  seen  odd 
specimens  before,  but  here  they  really  lived  and  moved 
and  had  their  being.  It  was  very  cold  that  night. 
Colonel  Younghusband,  the  British  resident  at  Serinagur, 
and  the  hero  of  the  famous  expedition  to  Lhasa,  was  com- 
ing in  a  day  behind  us,  and  we  were  looking  forward  to 
meeting  him  later  in  Kashmir.  We  left  Uri  by  starlight 
next  morning,  and  soon  found  ourselves  in  the  valley  of 
the  Jhelum.  About  ten  o'clock  we  came  to  Baramula, 
the  third  town  of  Kashmir -about  eight  hundred  houses  - 
from  whence  there  was  a  splendid  highway  thirty-seven 
miles  to  Serinagur,  the  capital,  lined  throughout  its  en- 
tire length  by  stately  poplar  trees  said  to  have  been  plant- 
ed by  Shah  Jehan.  I  have  purposely  avoided  attempting 
a  description  of  my  first  view  of  the  vale  from  the  pass 
above  Baramula,  because  it  is  so  well  done  in  Lalla  Rookh 
and  Mr.  DuPuy's  account,  which  mother  spoke  of  read- 
ing, undoubtedly  gave  it  much  better  than  I  could.  Also 
it  is  not  now  by  any  means  in  its  full  beauty.  We  have 
the  heavy  snows  (for  even  the  lowest  hills  are  covered 
with  it  now)  and  their  brilliant  contrasts  with  the  blue 
above;  we  have  the  trees,  just  beginning  to  show  their 
blossoms  and  the  first  pale  green  of  their  buds,  and  we 
have  the  river  and  the  lake,  the  castles,  palaces,  and 
pleasure  gardens  of  the  Moguls  and  the  Greek  ruins 
which  pre-date  them,  as  well  as  the  Hindoo  ruins  of  later 
date,  but  the  riper  beauty  of  late  spring  and  summer  and 
the  more  mature  glory  of  autumn  are  lacking  to  make  the 
picture  perfect.  Flowers  and  fruits  are  also  still  scarce, 
though  we  have  a  few  of  each. 
We  were  the  first  people  to  put  in  an  appearance  at 


180  EXTRACTS  PROM  LETTERS 

Nedow's  Hotel,  Serinagur,  this  year,  and  it  had  to  be 
specially  opened  for  us.  A  snug  place,  where  we  were 
made  very  comfortable,  and  had  our  first  taste  of  the 
celebrated  Kashmirian  vintages.  On  arrival,  I  went  over 
and  had  a  talk  with  the  fair  manageress  of  Cockburn's 
Outfitting  Agency,  to  see  how  we  could  best  spend  the 
short  time  allotted  to  us  by  Purdy's  stern  dictum.  We 
selected  a  horseback  trip  -  or  ponyback  rather  -  to  Islam- 
abad and  beyond,  and  a  houseboat  down  the  Jhelum  to 
Baramula.  Being  the  first  people  in,  we  were  beset  by 
insistent  venders  of  camel's  hair  shawls,  Turkoman  pray- 
ing rugs,  Bokhara  embroidery,  silks  and  carpets  from 
Samarkand,  Kashmir  wood-carving  beautifully  appli- 
qued,  silverware,  etc.,  but  managed  to  get  clear  of  them 
till  evening.  We  climbed  the  rugged  mountain  crowned 
by  the  Temple  of  the  Takt-i- Suleiman,  for  a  fine  view  over 
this  Venice  of  the  East,  and  beautiful  Dahl  Lake  with  its 
famed  floating  gardens  sleeping  in  the  arms  of  the  hills. 
At  our  feet,  the  many-bayed  lake  sparkled  like  wine  in 
the  sunset;  to  right  and  left  of  us,  rose  sharp,  rugged 
hills,  surmounted  by  fortress  or  monastery,  while  back  of 
all  the  snows  of  the  eternal  mountains  seemed  almost  to 
float  above  us,  and  kept  their  rosy  after-glow  when  the 
sun  had  long  since  set. 

Sunday  we  took  tiffin  with  us  and  spent  the  whole  de- 
lightful blue  day  punting  on  the  lake  and  its  adjacent 
water-ways,  visiting  temples,  mosques,  camping  grounds, 
pleasure  palaces,  and  summer  gardens.  The  old  Moguls 
left  the  impress  of  their  pleasures,  as  well  as  of  their 
prowess,  wherever  they  went.  It  was  a  taste  of  fairy 
land  to  both  of  us.  The  queer  fort-crowned  hills  and 
monasteries  rambling  up  like  the  Pueblos  of  Mexico,  gave 
the  vale  the  appearance  of  having  been  designed  by  Max- 
field  Parrish  in  one  of  his  most  fanciful  moments.  We 
spread  our  tiffin  beside  the  Shalimar  in  the  beautiful  sum- 
mer palace  called  the  Abode  of  Love  of  Jehangir's  queen, 
to  whose  taste  and  love  of  nature,  the  Mogul  Gardens  of 


FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JHELUM 183 

Kashmir  bear  witness.  The  view  of  "the  snows" 
through  the  veranda  arches  of  polished  black  marble 
from  Pampoor,  is  indescribably  lovely.  In  the  gardens, 
the  river  flows  through  several  artificial  pools  or  basins 
of  considerable  extent,  terraced  one  above  the  other,  the 
water  falling  down  over  the  marble  rim  in  a  thin  film, 
perhaps  four  feet  high.  Jehangir  had  made  use  of  this 
for  an  ingenious  device  to  light  the  gardens  during  an 
evening  entertainment.  Behind  each  of  these  curtains  of 
water,  were  rows  of  little  niches,  cut  into  the  faces  of  the 
supporting  wall  of  the  pools  above,  and  in  each  niche, 
there  used  to  be  placed  a  colored  light,  which  gleamed  out 
with  a  kaleidoscopic  effect  through  the  moving  pane  of 
water  in  front.  A  venerable  gardener  tendered  us  fruit 
and  flowers,  we  heard  the  plash  of  fountains,  and  saw  and 
heard  and  smelt  much  more  in  fancy -the  flash  of  jewels 
and  bright  eyes,  the  soft  whisper  of  silk  and  honeyed 
voices,  the  faint  aroma  of  precious  perfumes  and  rare 
flowers. 

Here  maidens  were  sighing,  and  fragrant  their  sigh 
As  the  flower  of  the  Amra  just  oped  by  a  bee, 
And  precious  their  tears  as  that  rain  from  the  sky, 
Which  melts  into  pearls  as  it  falls  in  the  sea. 
0 !  think  what  the  kiss  and  the  smile  must  be  worth 
When  the  sigh  and  the  tear  are  so  perfect  in  bliss, 
And  own,  if  there  be  an  Elysium  on  earth, 
It  is  this,  it  is  this. 

We  had  tea  and  a  couple  of  meditative  pipes  at  the 
Nishat  Bagh,  or  "  Gardens  of  Gladness  "  terraced  with 
water-falls  up  the  steep  side  of  a  hill,  and  shaded  by  a 
grove  of  stately  chenar  trees.  We  stopped  at  the  Sacred 
Island  and  later  had  a  look  at  the  Peri  Mahal  (named 
after  Nuhr  Mahal).  We  watched  the  naked  boatmen 
spearing  fish  in  the  good  old-fashioned  way,  and  saw  a 
duck  hunter,  whose  gun -with  a  twenty-foot  barrel -was 
strapped  along  the  center  of  his  dug-out,  like  the  bow- 
chaser  of  a  battleship.  He  paddles  up  as  near  as  he  can 


184  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

to  the  duck,  while  they  are  sitting  on  the  water,  and  then, 
pointing  his  boat  in  their  direction,  sets  off  his  cannon. 
The  only  wonder  is  that  the  recoil  of  that  terrible  weapon 
doesn't  capsize  his  frail  canoe!  The  most  interesting 
fortress  was  the  Hariparbat  Castle  of  Akbar,  sprawling 
over  a  steep  hill  above  the  lake.  A  fine  storm  swooped 
down  upon  us  at  sunset,  and  fitly  capped  an  idyllic  day. 
The  next  day  at  seven,  we  sent  off  our  luggage,  cooking 
pots,  and  provisions,  in  charge  of  my  boy  and  the  pony 
driver,  gorgeous  in  green  stockings  and  a  white  smock, 
who  proved  to  be  quite  a  character  in  his  way -I  wish  I 
could  do  him  justice  in  a  sketch.  By  nine  o  'clock,  after  a 
hearty  breakfast,  we  set  out  on  shaggy  stubborn  little 
nags,  attended  by  a  faithful  old  veteran  of  a  shikari,  sup- 
plied us  by  the  all-sufficient  agency,  to  make  our  * '  Bun- 
derbus,"  as  the  Anglo-Indian  slang  has  it.  A  Kashmiri 
gentleman,  with  an  eye  to  our  future  patronage  of  his 
shawls,  clad  in  a  puttoo  Prince  Albert,  and  mounted  on 
an  Arab  steed,  rode  part  way-out  and  saw  us  off  with 
many  "nods  and  becks,  and  wreathed  smiles."  Purdy 
is  a  mirth-provoking  companion  -  a  great  cracker  of  mel- 
low jests,  and  troller  of  lusty  catches -and  we  enjoyed 
the  perfect  day  and  the  glorious  mountains  immensely; 
sometimes  galloping  along,  and  slashing  at  each  other 
under  assumed  names,  to  the  astonishment  and  edification 
of  the  barefooted  wayfarers,  and  sometimes  merely 

Jogging  on  the  foot-path  way 

And  merrily  'nent  the  style  a, 

A  merry  heart  goes  all  the  day, 

Your  sad  one  tires  in  a  mile  a. 

talking  and  thinking  and  drinking  it  all  in.  We  passed  a 
beautiful  little  temple  showing  clearly  the  Greek  influ- 
ence which  worked  its  way  in  here  after  the  fall  of  Alex- 
ander's Empire.  It  was  half  submerged  in  the  center  of 
a  little  lakelet,  to  the  deity  of  which  it  had  been  dedicated. 
We  got  to  Avantipoor  at  midday,  where  after  tiffin  a  pre- 
arranged change  of  ponies  awaited  us.  But  fiery  old 


FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JHELUM  187 

green-stockings  would  not  have  it  so.  He  told  us  that 
the  other  ponies  were  not  there  (nor  did  we  discover  till 
a  full  hour  after  he  had  left  with  the  luggage,  that  he 
had,  himself,  hidden  them  in  a  grove  nearby)  and  sug- 
gested that  we  take  his  ponies  the  rest  of  the  way  and 
therefore  pay  him  for  two  stages  instead  of  one  -  the  wily 
rascal!  We  consented,  but  afterwards  repented,  as  the 
distance  to  Islamabad  is  full  thirty-six  miles  by  road,  and 
the  little  beasts  had  to  be  shoved  into  town.  The  after- 
noon was  as  balmy  and  bracing  as  the  morning,  the  air  is 
like  tonic,  yet  the  sun  warm  and  genial,  and  we  rode  be- 
neath summer  skies  through  a  fertile  smiling  valley,  while 
yet  grim  winter  shut  us  in  on  every  hand,  and  frowned 
down  upon  us  from  its  cold  and  snow  capped  strongholds. 
Never  have  I  seen  such  a  happy  and  contended  peasantry. 
There  seem  to  be  here  no  hardships  "  save  winter  and 
rough  weather,"  the  soil  is  fertile  and  life  is  made  easy 
for  this  simple  and  industrious  folk.  Towards  evening 
our  steeds,  journey-baited  and  brought  low,  became  sadly 
in  need  of  constant  urging  and  stern  application  of  stout 
willow  switches.  Seven-thirty  found  us  in  quaint  old 
Islamabad,  the  second  city  of  Kashmir,  and  we  took  up 
our  quarters  in  the  Dak  Bungalow  overlooking  the  river. 
We  spent  a  couple  of  days  here  riding  about  the  coun- 
try-side to  Atchabal,  the  pleasure  gardens  of  the  Mahara- 
jah, where  we  had  tiffin  one  day, 

By  shallow  rivers,  to  whose  falls 

Melodious  birds  sang  madrigals. 

and  an  old  servitor  brought  us  flowers,  fruit,  and  fresh, 
delicious  water  cress ;  to  the  splendid  ruins  of  Martand,  a 
stately  temple  of  classic  design  with  very  Greek  columns 
and  capitals  perched  high  on  a  barren  hillside  watching 
the  silent  encircling  peaks  which  rear  their  glittering 
heads  twenty-five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea ;  to  Bawan, 
with  its  temples  and  tanks  of  sacred  carp  sleeping  in  a 
great  grove  of  chenar  trees ;  to  the  caves  and  cave-temples 


188  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

of  Bonzoo ;  and  up  the  beautiful  Lidar  Valley  under  the 
deodars  and  close  to  the  snows.  On  Thursday  last  it  was 
"  Boot  saddle  to  horse  and  away  "  ere  the  glow  on  the 
mountains  announced  the  new  day.  At  Bijbehara,  a  town 
of  several  hundred  houses,  a  devil-dance  was  going  on 
in  the  street,  and  Purdy  snapped  a  picture  of  it  as  we  rode 
through.  At  Avantipoor  again  we  had  the  same  trouble 
with  old  green-stockings,  but  this  time  we  were  on  our 
guard,  and  found  the  fresh  ponies.  They  were  sorry 
steeds  enough,  however,  worse  even  than  green-stockings 's 
own,  and  with  noisy  glee  he  sprang  at  them,  seized  one 
by  the  tail,  and  threw  it  over  on  its  side  to  show  us  how 
useless  it  was,  and  then  began  beating  our  own  mounts, 
driving  us  off  down  the  road  on  them,  determined  to  make 
all  the  money  he  could.  There  seemed  no  help  for  it,  so 
we  let  him  have  his  wicked  way,  being  in  truth  too  weak 
with  laughter  to  offer  any  serious  resistance.  We  met 
another  ripe  old  character  that  day,  I  wish  we  had  seen 
more  of  him,  for  when  our  spirits  were  at  their  highest 
and  I  had  just  slain  Purdy,  who  lay  stiff  and  stark  upon 
the  green-sward,  whilst  I  galloped  triumphantly  off,  wav- 
ing his  helmet,  a  wild  figure  suddenly  bore  down  upon  me, 
waving  its  arms  and  wagging  its  long  white  beard  like  a 
goat.  It  proved  to  be  an  ancient  shikari,  a  friend  of  our 
shikari,  and  a  rare  bird  he  was.  He  raced  along  with  me 
for  a  mile  or  so,  entering  into  the  spirit  of  the  thing 
whole-heartedly -waggling  his  head,  swaying  his  body, 
and  uttering  all  manner  of  gibberish.  Later  we  became 
quite  chummy,  through  the  medium  of  our  own  shikari, 
who  spoke  a  little  English,  and  he  offered  to  take  us  on 
a  three  month  shoot  into  the  Russian  Pamirs  after  ovis 
ammon,  barasingh,  markhor,  snow-leopard,  and  thibetan 
bear. 

We  spent  that  night  on  our  very  cosy  houseboat,  which 
Cockburn's  Agency  had  all  ready  for  us.  The  next  day 
we  were  busy  seeing  the  town,  getting  supplies  for  our 
trip  down  the  river,  and  poking  about  through  many  in 


FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JHELUM  191 

teresting  stores  which  -  overhanging  the  ancient  river  - 
seemed  more  like  state  chambers  of  old  palaces,  so  rich 
was  the  lavish  display  of  priceless  silk  rugs,  embroideries, 
shawls,  silver-work,  carving,  etc.  We  finally  got  away 
by  four,  but  even  then  one  silver-tongued  old  merchant 
came  after  us  in  his  swift  pleasure  boat  and  coaxed  us 
back  to  his  palace  for  tea,  cakes,  and  confection,  and  a 
look  at  his  veritable  treasure  trove  by  the  dim  light  of 
brass  hand-hammered  lanterns  in  a  great  room  overhang- 
ing the  Jhelum.  We  couldn't  tear  ourselves  away  from 
this  delightful,  but  dangerous  occupation,  till  starlight 
twinkling  in  through  the  latticed  windows  of  the  balcony 
warned  us  to  pick  our  way  to  the  water  front  through  his 
stone-fa§aded  courtyards,  and  hurry  after  our  house- 
boat which  had  been  drifting  on  down  the  river.  The 
houseboat  is  most  comfy -two  bed  and  bath  rooms,  a  din- 
ing-room, a  sitting-room,  and  four  open  hearths.  We  have 
also  a  cook  boat  where  sleep  the  boatmen,  trackers,  and 
our  boys.  Our  larder  is  well  supplied  with  duck,  fish, 
venison,  eggs,  milk,  vegetables,  and  fruit,  and  we  have  a 
small,  but  choice  cellaret  of  the  good  Kashmiri  vintages. 

March  15. 

The  last  two  days  here  have  been  delightful  -  long 
dreamy  mornings,  and  lazy  afternoons  under  cloudless 
blue  skies,  floating  down  a  fairy  river  and  across  beauti- 
ful lakes  which  mirror  the  black  and  white  mountains  and 
cliffs  towering  sheer  from  their  cold  surfaces.  Some- 
times we  get  out  and  walk  a  bit,  or  take  pictures  of  odd 
looking  craft,  or  thatched  villages  whose  sleepy  old 
bridges  we  must  glide  beneath ;  but  mostly  we  sit  and  look 
and  dream  and  smoke.  In  the  evenings  I  have  been  revel- 
ing in  The  Cloister  and  the  Hearth.  I  haven't  finished 
it  yet,  but  think  it  a  capital  tale,  and  am  glad  I  haven't 
read  it  before.  We  arrived  in  Baramula  this  evening  and 
have  tied  up  in  a  grove  just  outside  the  town.  We  ex- 
pect to  leave  tomorrow  morning  for  Pindi,  if  the  Carry- 


192  EXTRACTS  PROM  LETTERS 

ing  Company  can  provide  tongas  for  us,  which  at  present 
seems  a  bit  doubtful. 

If  I  go  back  east  with  Purdy,  as  we  have  been  talking 
of  doing  of  late,  my  plans  will  be  these,  and  I  hope  you 
will  approve.  A  little  more  of  North  India,  including 
some  of  the  native  states,  to  the  rulers  of  which  I  have 
letters ;  a  glimpse  at  a  few  places  in  South  India,  not  long, 
on  account  of  the  heat ;  ten  days  or  so  in  the  hills  of  Cey- 
lon, where  Purdy  has  letters  to  some  tea  planters ;  then  to 
Bangkok  and  Siam,  via  Singapore ;  thence  to  Hong  Kong 
via  Saigon;  thence  the  Philippines  and  return  to  Hong 
Kong.  A  possible  trip  overland  from  Canton  to  Han- 
kow (the  reverse  of  that  which  we  had  planned  before) ; 
thence  to  Peking,  then  Mukden  and  a  trip  of  a  month  or 
so  through  Manchuria.  This  will  bring  us  to  late  August, 
when  Purdy  must  leave  for  home.  I  shall  either  accom- 
pany him  and  stop  off  to  see  the  Grand  Canon,  the  Yosem- 
ite,  and  the  Yellowstone,  and  get  in  a  little  shooting  be- 
fore going  to  work,  or  else  go  across  to  Europe  by  the 
Trans-Siberian,  getting  a  glimpse  of  Persia  and  carrying 
out  my  original  French  design.  The  north  China  part  of 
the  scheme  (which  may  also  include  a  glimpse  of  Korea) 
is  Purdy 's,  since  he  hasn't  been  there.  The  Philippines 
and  Siam  are  mine,  and  I  am  very  anxious  to  see  them- 
as  I  had  originally  planned  to  do  so,  but  left  them  out  for 
lack  of  time.  My  reasons  for  thus  shattering  the  '  *  sorry 
state  of  things  entire, ' '  and  trying  to  ' '  remold  them  near- 
er to  the  heart's  desire,"  is  simply  this:  Hervey  is  al- 
ready nearly  home -Gil  (whom  I  fancy  is  tired  of  India) 
has  left  us,  and  after  another  week  or  so  in  India,  will 
start  for  sunny  Italy,  where  he  expects  shortly  to  meet 
his  father.  We  are  very  sorry  to  have  Gil  go  and  shall 
regret  his  companionship  tremendously,  but  let  me  say 
right  here  that  this  is  only  a  part  of  our  pre-conceived 
notion  of  things -he  is  anxious  to  leave,  we  are  not  ready, 
and  we  neither  of  us  feel  bound  to  stay  with  the  others 
against  our  inclination.  Both  Purdy  and  Heathcote 


FLOATING  DOWN  THE  JHELUM 195 

Woolsey  have  given  up  the  idea  of  Africa,  and  it  seems 
both  foolhardy  and  a  bit  lonely  to  undertake  a  trip  of 
three  months  into  those  wilds  alone.  India  will  soon  be  too 
hot  except  up  here  in  the  north -where  I  should  love  to 
stay  a  couple  of  months  and  shoot,  but  Purdy  doesn't 
want  to.  In  fact  I  shall  have  to  give  up  all  my  hunting 
schemes;  here  in  Kashmir,  Africa,  Sumatra,  and  Man- 
churia, I'm  afraid,  as  Purdy  isn't  at  all  keen  for  it,  and  I 
am  more  anxious,  I  think,  to  go  with  him  to  the  places  we 
have  in  mind  than  to  go  shooting  alone.  Also  it  seems 
rather  senseless  for  me  to  fool  around  India  or  Europe 
alone,  and  let  Purdy  also  go  off  alone,  when  we  might  be 
taking  this  very  profitable  trip  together.  I  have  the 
French  scheme  before  me  in  either  case,  but  it  means 
either  five  months  of  rather  aimless  wandering,  or  shoot- 
ing alone  (till  I  meet  Heath,  August  twentieth,  in  Tours), 
a  pleasant  vagabond  sort  of  existence,  or  five  months 
profitable  traveling  with  the  best  of  companions.  I  have 
been  talking  both  Africa  and  Persia  to  Purdy  as  ideal 
places,  and  better  than  going  back  over  the  old  trail,  but 
he  has  no  fancy  for  either  of  them,  so  I  '11  yield  to  him  and 
make  it  pleasanter  for  both  of  us.  I  will  advise  you  by 
cable  of  my  changes  in  address,  and  I  wish  you  would  let 
Kenyon  Bolton  know  of  them,  too.  As  for  the  shooting 
I  had  so  set  my  heart  upon,  I  'm  afraid  I  '11  have  to  aban- 
don the  idea  for  this  trip.  One  should  have  a  companion 
who  is  equally  keen  for  it,  and  come  over  with  plenty  of 
time  at  one's  disposal,  and  no  other  end  in  view,  in  order 
to  make  it  a  complete  success.  I  hope  I  shall  be  able  to 
come  over  to  the  East  again  for  six  months  or  so  in  four 
or  five  years,  with  a  good  sportsman,  and  get  some  real 
big  game  shooting.  My  little  sips  so  far  have  only  whet- 
ted my  appetite.  My  usual  luck  seems  against  me  in  this 
respect.  If  anything  turns  up,  however,  I  may  throw 
Purdy  over  and  embrace  my  opportunity.  One  of  the 
chief  advantages  of  a  trip  conceived  as  ours  has  been,  is 
the  perfect  freedom  with  which  it  enables  us  to  follow  to 


196  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

the  end  any  alluring  opportunity  and  see  out  any  little 
adventure  which  presents.  Nearly  all  the  best  things  I 
have  done  so  far  have  come  up  this  way  on  the  spur  of 
the  moment -Korea,  Manchuria,  Mongolia,  Formosa,  the 
Shan  Mountains,  Cooch  Behar  and  Kosse. 

I  think  hereafter  that  a  long  and  more  or  less  connected 
letter  of  this  sort,  sent  to  one  member  of  the  family,  is  a 
better  scheme  than  to  try  and  write  everyone.  I  daresay 
it  seems  as  though  I  haven't  been  writing  much,  yet  to  me 
it  is  almost  incessant.  I  never  felt  better  in  my  life,  and 
hope  you  and  all  the  others  are  also  in  good  health.  I 
also  trust  that  business  has  quite  recovered  itself  by  now. 
Love  to  all,  your  loving  son,  AMASA. 

P.S.  I  hope  the  rather  melodramatic  incident  of  the 
perforated  hat  won't  alarm  mother.  Nothing  really  hap- 
pened, you  see,  and  it  has  warned  me  to  beware  of  stran- 
gers, however  well  recommended  -  for  Sirdar  had  some 
good  letters. 

Later.    RAWALPINDI,  March  17,  1908. 

We  had  a  fine  trip  out  through  the  mountains.  Trav- 
eled part  of  one  glorious  night  by  moonlight.  The  tonga 
road,  winding  along  between  earth  and  heaven  and  cut 
into  the  solid  face  of  a  great  mountain  overhanging  the 
boiling  river  below,  is  a  wonderful  place  to  spin  dreams 
for  the  future  in,  and  we  planned  a  beautiful  country 
house  for  Purdy  under  the  spell  of  the  environment. 
I've  been  looking  forward  to  Kashmir  and  a  good  shoot 
from  there  into  the  Skardo,  the  Russian  Pamirs,  Ladak, 
or  Baltistan  for  so  long  that  it  almost  broke  my  heart  to 
leave  it  behind  after  so  short,  if  delightful,  a  visit.  The 
women  here,  or  such  as  I  saw,  are  not  so  beautiful  as 
Dame  Rumor  hath  it.  Many  of  them  wear  trousers,  and 
the  men  pretty  generally  dye  their  beards  red  like  the 
Persians. 

Why  don't  you  steal  far  from  the  madding  crowd  and 
join  me  in  Europe  next  August?  Bring  Philip  with  you 
and  we'll  take  a  tramp  through  the  Dolomites  before  I 


JEYPORE  199 


settle  down  to  master  the  Frankish  tongue.  I  finished 
The  Cloister  and  the  Hearth  at  two  o'clock  this  morning. 
What  a  ripping  fine  tale  it  is !  AM. 

JEYPORE,  March  19,  1908. 

DEAR  MOTHER;  This  wonderful  old  rajput  city  is  still 
almost  medieval  in  its  life  and  appearance.  A  spirit  of 
Indian  chivalry  pervades  the  place -men  in  chain-mail 
armour,  with  tossing  plumes  and  glittering  swords  dash 
by  on  Arab  barbs.  The  palaces  are  splendid,  especially 
the  Palace  of  the  Winds,  but  the  old  deserted  capital, 
Amber,  with  its  temples,  courts,  and  halls,  sleeping  in  a 
gash  in  the  savage  hills,  is  far  better,  and  to  me,  only  less 
significant  of  old  India  than  the  forts  and  palaces  at  Agra. 
There  are  many  fine  grim  fortresses  crowning  the  heights, 
particularly  the  redoubtable  Tiger  Fort.  Never  shall  I  for- 
get the  sunset  glory  of  that  first  evening  in  the  pink-marble 
city :  the  rays  of  the  dying  sun  flooded  the  walls  and  houses 
of  Jeypore  with  a  light  as  of  ocean  playing  upon  coral 
reefs,  turning  her  white  roads  into  marble,  and  her  build- 
ings into  old  rose  brocade.  The  tops  of  the  stately  facades 
of  coral-colored  stone  were  lined  with  fretted  traceries  -  a 
fair  design  stretching  down  the  long  streets.  Beneath 
these  sumptuous  structures,  and  in  their  shade,  sat  cross- 
legged  merchants  of  every  trade  and  dealers  in  every 
ware.  All  bathed  in  the  generous  evening  sunshine,  each 
color  of  the  rainbow  danced  and  wantoned  in  the  light; 
cotton,  calico,  silk,  net,  brocades  -  red,  mauve,  citron,  pur- 
ple, orange,  and  gold  -  silvered  turbans  and  gilded  slip- 
pers, green  vegetables,  glowing  bronze,  brown  earthen- 
ware vessels,  garish  toys  and  pictures,  all  combined  to 
dazzle  the  eye  as  they  lay  exposed  to  the  silent  throng 
that  jostled  past.  There  are  some  old  junk  shops  here 
which  are  excellent  places  to  pick  up  murderous-looking 
weapons  which  speak  eloquently  of  the  turbulent  days 
before  the  British  rule.  More  later. 


200  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

BOMBAY,  March  23. 

As  I  told  you  before,  Gil  left  us  in  Delhi,  and  was  going 
to  start  for  Europe  after  a  couple  of  weeks  more  of  hasty 
India  and  Ceylon.  On  our  arrival  here,  after  an  all  too 
short  day  at  the  interesting  city  of  Ahmedabad,  we  found 
telegrams  signed  * '  Dick  ' '  and  ' '  Bose  ' '  to  the  effect  that 
Gilbert  is  very  sick  of  some  fever  in  a  town  called  Manga- 
lore  on  the  southwestern  coast  of  India,  the  once  famous 
haunt  of  the  Malabar  pirates.  We  have  just  unpacked, 
but  are  of  course  packing  up  again,  and  will  start  for 
Mangalore  tonight.  It  is  an  out-of-the-way  place,  and  can 
only  be  reached  by  a  very  roundabout  route  through  Mad- 
ras, which  will  take  us  two  days  and  three  nights  constant 
traveling.  Four  of  our  last  five  nights  have  been  spent 
on  the  train,  and  we  are  pretty  weary -I  also  have  a 
slight  touch  of  dysentery.  Too  busy  to  write  more  now, 
and  my  plans  will  be  unsettled  till  we  find  how  Gil  is.  I 
think  we  shall  probably  take  him  up  into  the  compara- 
tively cool  hill  country  of  Ceylon  to  recuperate.  Hastily 
but  lovingly,  AMASA. 

MANGALOBE,  March  27,  1908. 

DEAB  FATHER  :  As  I  hurriedly  told  mother  in  my  brief 
note  to  her  from  Bombay,  we  found  two  wires  awaiting 
us  there  about  Gil,  saying  that  he  was  sick  here  in  Man- 
galore.  I  shall  now  try  to  put  the  events  which  have 
happened  since  before  you  in  an  orderly  way.  He  had 
reached  that  small,  hot,  out  of  the  way  place,  because  he 
had  decided,  probably  on  receipt  of  a  letter  from  his 
father,  at  Bombay,  in  which  the  plan  for  Italy  was  aban- 
doned, to  rejoin  us  in  Colombo  and  go  back  east  with  us, 
and  he  thought  it  would  be  a  cool  cheap  way  to  kill  time 
until  we  reached  Colombo,  to  take  a  slow  coasting  steamer 
down  the  coast  of  India.  What  at  first  seemed  to  be 
measles,  developed  on  board,  and  he  was  put  ashore  at 
Mangalore  about  two-thirds  of  the  way  down.  By  dint 


MANGALORE 


of  tremendous  exertion  Purdy  and  I  managed  to  repack 
everything  except  the  laundry  which  we  had  sent  out, 
and  get  off  the  same  day  that  we  received  the  wire.  Left 
Bombay  at  nine  o'clock  Monday  evening  and  arrived  at 
Madras  at  seven  Wednesday  morning.  We  were  crowded 
and  hot  and  dusty,  but  the  scenery  was  interesting.  There 
was  hardly  a  breath  of  air  stirring  in  Madras,  and  we 
found  it  difficult  to  keep  cool.  Mangalore  was  apparently 
a  very  small  place,  the  railway  had  only  just  reached  it, 
so  I  looked  up  in  the  government  Register  the  names  of 
doctors  posted  there  and  at  nearby  towns,  and  arranged 
to  have  forty  pounds  of  ice  meet  us  in  Calicut  to  take  on, 
as  there  mightn't  be  any  in  Mangalore.  We  left  Madras 
that  evening  at  six,  and  arrived  Thursday  at  eight  o  'clock 
in  the  evening  at  Mangalore.  Captain  Bose  -  the  military 
doctor  who  had  treated  Gil,  a  splendid  fellow,  and  I  think 
an  excellent  physician  -  was  the  first  man  I  met,  and  he 
told  me  about  Gil.  Up  to  that  time  we  knew  only  that  he 
was  sick -neither  the  nature  of  the  illness,  nor  its  serious- 
ness. He  died  an  hour  before  we  arrived.  He  had  been 
unconscious  since  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  I  do 
not  think  he  suffered  any  at  the  last.  We  went  right  up 
and  saw  him.  It  was  a  very  bad  case  of  the  black  *  *  malig- 
nant ' '  type,  and  he  was  barely  recognizable.  We  had  a 
long  talk  with  Captain  Bose  and  with  Mr.  Percival,  and 
made  arrangements  that  evening  for  the  burial  at  ten 
this  morning.  Mr.  Percival  is  the  B.I.  Steamship  Com- 
pany's agent,  and  he  and  his  wife -one  of  the  four  white 
women  here -did  a  great  deal  for  Gil,  advancing  him 
money,  keeping  his  valuables,  helping  to  get  a  bungalow 
for  him,  lending  him  bed  linen,  china,  cooking  utensils, 
pillows,  and  household  gear,  and  sending  over  fruits, 
jellies,  and  flowers  to  the  sick  room.  Gilbert  had  been 
hopeful  to  the  end,  never  knowing  that  he  had  smallpox, 
and  so  had  sent  no  word  to  his  family  of  his  illness.  I  am 
therefore  afraid  that  my  cable  was  brutal,  but  it  had  to 
be.  Purdy  and  I  slept  a  little  that  night  on  benches  in 


204  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

the  station  waiting  room.  There  is,  of  course,  no  hotel, 
only  the  bungalows  of  the  half  dozen  Europeans  who  are 
stationed  here,  and  we  did  not  like  to  ask  any  of  them  to 
take  us  in,  as  we  feared  we  might  be  infected  by  our  visit 
to  Gilbert's  bungalow.  He  was  buried  in  consecrated 
ground,  which  required  special  permission,  on  account  of 
the  nature  of  the  disease.  The  service  was  read  by  Mr. 
Brown,  the  port  officer,  a  very  kind  old  gentleman.  Three 
ladies,  Mrs.  Morgan,  Mrs.  Percival,  and  Mrs.  Durham, 
sent  flowers,  and  I  have  written  to  thank  them.  Immedi- 
ately after  the  service,  I  got  your  wire,  and  one  from  Mr. 
Stark,  reading,  "  Cremate,  send  ashes."  There  was  some 
difficulty  about  this,  but  we  finally  managed  to  do  it,  and 
I  bought  a  small  silver  casket -the  best  I  could  find  in 
the  bazaar -to  put  the  ashes  in.  We  hope  to  be  able  to 
settle  everything  tonight,  and  to  leave  tomorrow  morning 
at  five  for  Colombo,  as  it  is  both  unhealthy  and  very  de- 
pressing here  at  Mangalore. 

Captain  Bose  seems  to  have  done  everything  that  could 
have  been  done,  and  we  feel  that  Gil  could  not  have  been 
in  better  hands,  nor  have  received  kinder  treatment.  Cap- 
tain Bose  is  also  port  doctor,  and  on  the  arrival  of  the 
boat,  March  seventeenth,  it  was  he  who  examined  Gil. 
Finding  him  with  a  temperature  of  104°,  he  was  forced 
by  the  duties  of  his  office  to  remove  him  to  his  little  hos- 
pital here.  There  was  a  young  tea-planter  named  Murray 
Dick  bound  for  Ceylon,  with  whom  Gil  had  struck  up  an 
acquaintance  in  Jeypore,  and  he  got  off  to  stay  with  Gil. 
Bose  gave  him  cold  baths,  ice  bags,  etc.,  and  the  second 
day,  measles  rash  unmistakably  broke  out.  They  then 
hired  a  special  bungalow  for  him  with  a  force  of  servants 
and  procured  a  trained  nurse.  Dick  feeling  that  the  devel- 
opment of  measles  put  Gilbert  out  of  all  danger,  and  that 
his  recovery  would  be  merely  a  matter  of  time,  left  on  the 
next  boat  for  Colombo.  Gil  must  have  been  quite  comfort- 
able-he had  "punkahs"  (fans  pulled  by  ropes),  ice, 
pillows,  etc.;  Mr.  Percival  lent  a  spring  bed,  furniture, 


COLOMBO  207 


and  some  crockery,  the  rest,  with  some  cooking  stuff,  be- 
ing bought  at  the  bazaar.  Mrs.  Percival  sent  him  jellies 
and  fruits  and  Mrs.  Morgan  flowers.  On  the  twentieth 
the  pox  appeared,  and  his  temperature  went  down.  A 
second  trained  nurse  was  then  secured.  On  the  twenty- 
third  we  got  the  telegram  in  Bombay.  On  the  twenty- 
fourth  he  took  a  turn  for  the  better,  and  they  had  hopes 
for  his  recovery,  but  on  the  twenty-fifth  he  was  worse 
again,  and  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  twenty- 
sixth  he  lost  consciousness.  He  died  at  six,  forty-five  that 
evening. 

We  had  everything  that  belonged  to  him  which  seemed 
worth  keeping- jewelry,  trinkets,  pictures,  and  things  he 
had  bought  -  fumigated  and  disinfected.  As  I  didn't 
know  whether  his  family  would  want  his  clothes,  we  had 
them  also  fumigated  and  disinfected,  packed  them  up  and 
left  them  in  charge  of  Captain  Bose.  If  he  doesn't  hear 
from  them  within  two  months,  he  is  going  to  make  what- 
ever use  he  can  of  them  for  charitable  or  medical  pur- 
poses. The  books,  papers,  jewelry,  purchases,  etc.,  we 
take  along  with  us,  and  will  ship  from  Colombo.  He  had 
also  left  a  box  of  curios,  etc.,  in  either  Calcutta  or  Bom- 
bay, which  I  shall  locate  and  ship  to  his  family.  His 
Burmese  boy,  Mung  Tung,  was  a  splendid  chap,  very  de- 
voted to  Gil,  and  was  most  useful  and  helpful  as  every- 
one testified.  After  settling  all  bills  and  arranging  mat- 
ters, we  shall  leave  for  Tuticorin,  and  thence  to  Colombo 
at  five  o'clock  tomorrow  morning.  It  is  very  hot  and 
unhealthy  here,  but  we  have  both  been  vaccinated  today 
I  don't  know  whether  Gilbert  was  vaccinated  before  leav- 
ing home  or  not -I  was. 

COLOMBO,  March  31. 

We  arrived  here  yesterday  morning  early,  pretty  well 
used  up  with  heat  and  lack  of  sleep.  This  hotel,  the  Galle 
Face,  is  said  to  be  the  finest  in  the  East,  after  leaving 
Cairo,  having  a  beautiful  outlook  on  the  sea,  and  a  swim- 
ming tank  which  has  refreshed  us  both. 


208  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

The  telegraph  station  at  Mangalore  was  not  open  on 
the  night  of  the  twenty- seventh  at  the  late  hour  at  which 
we  had  everything  finished,  nor  was  it  open  in  the  morn- 
ing before  we  left  at  five  o  'clock,  so  I  had  to  send  a  cable 
to  you  from  a  place  called  "  Endore,"  en  route.  It  en- 
tailed running  three  miles  through  the  darkness  with  a 
coolie  from  the  railway  station  to  the  cable  office,  though 
why  in  Heaven's  name  they  are  not  together,  I  don't 
know.  I  managed  to  get  some  more  money,  £50,  from  a 
bank  in  Mangalore,  with  which  to  settle  up  accounts, 
although  they  were  not  correspondents  of  Brown  Broth- 
ers. We  arrived  in  Tuticorin  on  the  evening  of  the 
twenty-ninth,  having  had  a  passing  glimpse  of  some  of 
the  wonderful  Jain  temples  at  Madura,  and  took  ship  at 
once,  arriving  here  yesterday  morning.  One  of  my  bags, 
containing  all  my  shooting  kit -old  clothes,  khaki,  heavy 
boots,  woolen  socks,  bandoleers,  cartridge  belts,  binoc- 
ulars, etc. -got  itself  lost  from  the  luggage  van  between 
Bombay  and  Mangalore,  but  I  have  set  some  inquiries 
on  foot  and  am  hoping  it  will  turn  up  soon.  Didn't  hear 
from  you  yesterday,  which  we  spent  resting  and  unpack- 
ing, but  got  your  two  cables  today,  also  one  from  Mr. 
Stark  which  reads :  *  *  Can  you  cremate  I  If  you  are  will- 
ing, prefer  you  boys  bring  Gilbert's  ashes.  Answer." 
I  haven't  answered  yet,  as  you  said  in  your  cable  not  to 
decide  until  further  advised  by  you.  You  will  have  received 
letters  long  ago  from  which  you  will  have  learned  that 
Purdy  and  I  have  been  planning  to  go  back  east.  Purdy 
cabled  his  family  on  the  twenty-eighth  in  regard  to  this, 
and  they  have  advised  him  to  do  it  for  the  sake  of  the 
Philippines,  Siam,  Korea,  etc.,  I  suppose,  the  cable  read- 
ing: "  Go  back  East  with  Mather."  Of  course,  however, 
I  shall  do  whatever  you  and  Mr.  Stark  decide,  though  the 
ashes  would  be  as  safe  alone,  as  with  me -no  thing  but 
the  sinking  of  the  ship  could  stop  them  nowadays  after 
having  once  been  put  in  the  hands  of  the  modern  express 
companies.  Still,  I  can  see  that  he  might  wish  them  to  be 


one]  COLOMBO  209 

in  my  personal  care,  and  shall  do  whatever  you  and  he 
decide.  Purdy  and  I  are  both  well.  I  have  an  account  of 
Gilbert's  illness  from  the  doctor,  as  well  as  the  statement 
of  the  causes  and  fact  of  his  death,  also  notes  I  took  from 
various  sources,  and  the  names  of  those  who  did  things  - 
to  all  of  whom  I  have  written  acknowledgments  and 
thanks.  We  gave  presents  to  the  nurses,  to  his  boy,  and 
to  a  few  others,  and  are  going  to  send  Captain  Bose 
£50.  If  Mr.  Stark  wishes  to  do  more,  or  to  write  any 
notes,  I  have  all  the  addresses.  Whether  we  go  east  or 
west,  we  shall  probably  stay  here  a  week  or  so  to  re- 
cuperate and  to  make  sure  we  haven't  been  infected,  as 
the  past  two  weeks  of  travel  and  nervous  strain  have  been 
very  trying.  It  is  hot  here  in  Colombo,  but  cool  in  the 
mountains.  Purdy  has  received  an  invitation  for  us  both 
to  visit  a  tea  planter  to  whom  he  had  sent  letters  of  in- 
troduction, and  I  think  we  shall  accept  it. 

COLOMBO,  April  1. 

I  received  your  cable  this  morning,  asking  if  the  body 
was  cremated  and  had  yet  been  forwarded,  and  telling 
me  to  answer  Weatherhawk,  New  York,  as  Stark  was 
anxiously  awaiting  reply.  I  at  once  replied  to  Weather- 
hawk  :  *  *  Cremated.  Ashes  here.  Awaiting  instructions. ' ' 
Purdy  has  received  a  second  cable  from  home  in  which 
his  mother  seems  quite  worried,  and  he  has  decided  to 
return  home,  stopping  to  spend  the  summer  in  Germany 
studying  as  was  originally  intended.  I  shall  return  also 
if  you  and  Mr.  Stark  decide  so.  I  have  apparently  five 
possibilities  before  me  which  will  of  course  have  been 
sifted  and  one  chosen  and  communicated  to  you  before 
you  get  this.  They  are  first,  to  return  and  go  to  work; 
second,  to  return  home  with  ashes,  then  go  back  to  study 
in  France  and  Germany;  third,  to  return  home  with  the 
ashes  and  then  try  to  get  some  big  game  shooting  before 
going  to  work,  Canada,  for  instance,  and  the  Eockies; 
fourth,  to  travel  in  the  East  alone :  Siam,  the  Philippines, 


210  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

Bussia,  etc.;  fifth,  to  get  some  big  game  shooting  in  the 
east:  Ceylon,  Africa,  Java,  Sumatra  or  Manchuria.  I 
might  also  combine  two  and  three.  We  have,  however, 
both  engaged  passage  on  the  Steamer  ' '  Bremen  ' '  leaving 
here  April  tenth,  which,  via  Cherbourg,  will  get  us  to 
New  York  May  fourth.  In  any  event,  we  need  a  week  or 
so  in  the  hills  to  recuperate  and  are  leaving  for  Kandy 
tomorrow  morning.  Cables  will  be  forwarded.  I  am 
enclosing  some  pictures  which  may  be  interesting.  Your 
loving  son,  AMASA  S.  MATHER. 

COLOMBO,  April  11,  1908. 

DEAR  MOTHER  :  Purdy  sails  today  via  Aden,  etc.,  thence 
by  rail  to  Cherbourg,  and  so  to  New  York.  I  am  giving 
him  this  letter,  which  he  will  probably  mail  from  the 
latter  place.  I  have  given  him  the  casket  of  ashes,  and 
the  letters,  papers,  and  accounts  referring  to  the  sad 
affair  at  Mangalore,  which,  together  with  some  of  Gil- 
bert's things  (books,  jewelry,  pictures,  etc.)  he  will  turn 
over  to  Mr.  Stark.  I  hope  Purdy  will  stop  off  for  a  day 
or  so  in  Cleveland  on  his  way  to  or  from  Saginaw,  as  I 
know  you  would  like  to  see  him  again  and  to  hear  about 
his  travels.  Liv  would  like  to  know  him  better,  I  'm  sure, 
and  if  he  comes,  will  you  ask  Kenny  or  Alex  out  to  Shore- 
by?  I  haven't  been  able  to  write  either  to  you  or  to  Mr. 
Stark  any  expression  of  my  own  feelings,  or  as  yet  any 
letter  of  sympathy  to  Mr.  Stark.  Of  course  you  know 
how  I  must  feel -Gilbert  was  not  only  one  of  my  best 
friends  -  companionship  in  travels  and  little  adventures 
had  brought  us  even  closer  together  than  before ;  long  con- 
versations on  ships  at  night  seemed  to  have  given  us 
fuller  understanding  of,  and  sympathy  with,  each  other's 
lives  and  aspirations;  but  more  than  all  this,  he  was  a 
man  whom  I  admired  and  respected  fully  as  much  as  any- 
one I  know.  He  had  the  kindest,  tenderest  nature,  and 
the  most  loving  heart,  of  almost  anyone  in  my  circle  of 
friends,  and  was  possessed,  I  feel  sure,  of  very  remark- 


one] COLOMBO 211 

able  abilities ;  but  I  can't  say  any  more  now.    Everything 
sounds  cold  and  forced  on  paper. 

I  haven't  been  able  by  wire,  nor  can  I  now,  give  you 
any  exact  indication  of  my  plans ;  so  I  won't  be  able  to  get 
many  letters,  I  suppose.  At  the  same  time  that  I  got  the 
wires  from  you  and  Mr.  Stark  advising  to  send  the  ashes 
by  express  and  continue  our  eastern  trip,  Purdy  got  one 
from  his  family  to  the  same  effect,  but  decided  to  go  home 
anyway.  We  were  both  so  upset  when  we  reached  Co- 
lombo by  the  heat  of  southern  India,  all  the  traveling  we 
had  done,  the  lack  of  sleep,  and  the  strain  at  Mangalore, 
that  Purdy  felt  the  tropics  didn't  agree  with  him,  and  so 
is  going  home  with  the  ashes,  and  after  seeing  Mr.  Stark, 
will  go  straight  back  to  Germany  for  two  or  three  months' 
study.  He  intends  to  be  a  doctor,  and  German  is  pretty 
necessary  to  him,  especially  in  research  work  in  which  he 
expects  largely  to  delve.  Although  this  will  leave  me 
alone,  I  feel  that  my  chances  for  ever  getting  over  here 
again  are  so  slight  that  I  had  better  stay.  I  am  going  to 
shoot  as  much  as  I  can,  as  I  am  very  anxious  to  get  a 
tiger,  an  elephant,  and  a  leopard.  The  planters  up  coun- 
try here,  with  whom  we  stayed,  have  been  most  kind, 
giving  me  letters  to  several  sportsmen,  one  in  Travan- 
core,  which  I  have  always  wished  to  visit -and  I  have 
lately  met  several  chaps  here,  and  have  received  a  letter 
from  Baron  Van  Heekeren,  asking  me  to  visit  him  and 
join  him  on  a  shoot  in  Java.  The  eastern  trip  will  enable 
me  to  see  Siam,  which  country  is  very  pregnant  with 
problems  for  the  future  of  the  east.  Once  there,  I  may 
go  on  to  the  Philippines,  coming  back  Trans-Siberian  to 
France,  and  giving  up  Africa.  Of  course  I  know  this 
hunting  will  be  very  expensive,  the  more  so  as  I  am  doing 
it  alone;  but  now  that  Purdy  has  left  me,  travel  of  any 
kind  will  be  expensive,  as  two  people  can  economize  in  a 
great  many  little  ways.  I  may  not,  therefore,  be  able  to 
do  nearly  as  much  as  I  planned  for  financial  reasons - 
Africa,  for  instance,  entails  a  large  expedition,  and  will 


212  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

be  very  costly  indeed.  However,  I  shall  do  the  best  I 
can -I  am  going  to  economize  and  buy  no  more  presents 
or  curios;  only  necessaries  and  pictures.  I  don't  think 
hunting  is  entirely  unprofitable ;  you  see  the  country  and 
the  people  in  a  very  close  and  real  way,  and  the  ability 
to  arrange,  manage,  and  conduct  an  expedition,  is  surely 
worth  something.  Being  alone,  as  I  am,  and  up  against 
entirely  new  conditions  of  country,  climate,  health,  and 
game,  I  am  bound  to  learn  a  lot  both  from  others  in  ad- 
vance, and  from  my  own  experience  on  the  spot;  for 
instance:  wild  elephants  are  one  of  the  most  dangerous 
propositions  in  the  world.  J.  J.  Robinson,  a  delightful 
planter  with  whom  we  stayed,  and  who  has  killed  over  a 
hundred,  including  many  "  rogues,"  has  told  me  many 
stories  of  their  habits  and  ways,  and  of  his  experiences 
with  them,  and  has  given  me  much  advice. 

Mr.  Severance  and  Dr.  Ludlow  are  in  this  hotel,  and 
will  be  on  the  island  a  week  or  so  before  they  leave  for 
home;  also  my  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bolton.  I  have 
rather  a  strange  feeling,  now  that  I  am  about  to  start 
upon  so  long  and  solitary  a  ramble.  My  plans  being  so 
uncertain,  I  feel  as  though  I  shall  lose  touch  of  things, 
never  receive  any  more  letters,  or  meet  anyone  I  know- 
especially  as  I  shall  be  in  the  jungles  most  of  the  time. 
However,  being  alone,  and  having  no  iron-bound  plans, 
I  shall  be  able  to  embrace  any  opportunity  which  may 
present,  any  expedition  or  emprise,  and  a  delightful 
glamor  of  adventure  and  romance  overhangs  the  future. 
I  daresay  you  think  I'm  treating  Heath  Woolsey  rather 
shabbily  in  being  so  unsettled  in  regard  to  our  French 
sojourn,  but  it's  his  fault;  I  can't  account  for  it  at  all, 
unless  the  man's  in  love.  I  never  met  him  in  India  at 
all -missed  him  in  both  Calcutta  and  Darjeeling-nor 
have  I  received  a  single  line  from  him,  though  I  left  my 
addresses  with  him  before  leaving  home,  and  have  written 
to  him  three  times  since.  These  being  the  facts,  I  think 


one]  COLOMBO  213 

I  am  now  justified  in  consulting  my  own  convenience  and 
not  Ms. 

We  had  quite  a  pleasant  time  up  country.  Anuradhpura, 
the  buried  city,  was  surprisingly  extensive  and  very  inter- 
esting. Kandy  and  Peradeniya  were  delightful,  and  we 
had  a  very  nice  little  visit  with  each  of  the  two  bachelor 
planters  on  their  estates  in  the  hills,  Stewart  Taylor  and 
J.  J.  Robinson-"  one-eyed  Robinson,  the  elephant- slay- 
er." Colombo  is  still  hot,  but  the  swimming  tank  is  cool. 
Ergo. 

April  12. 

Purdy's  boat  delayed,  and  doesn't  sail  till  noon  today. 
We -the  Boltons  and  I -gave  him  a  farewell  banquet 
last  night.  There  was  a  hotel  ball,  one  of  those  stupid 
affairs  where  you  either  dance  with  a  fat  German  Frau- 
lein,  or  have  a  Frenchman  step  on  your  toe,  while  every- 
body sits  around  on  the  sides  of  the  room  and  chatters 
and  drinks  ices.  We  didn't  participate,  however,  but  sat 
out  on  the  beach  with  a  full  moon  and  spun  yarns.  Yes- 
terday I  got  father's  wire  "  Stark  never  desired  aban- 
donment of  trip,  only  bringing  ashes.  Now  thoroughly 
convinced  unsafe  and  undesirable.  However,  if  Stout 
persists,  think  you  had  best  accompany  him  at  least  as 
far  as  Europe."  As  it  is  of  course  absurd  to  suppose 
that  it  is  less  safe  to  entrust  the  ashes  to  an  individual 
than  to  an  express  company,  I  don't  see  what  father 
means  by  his  i  l  unsafe  ' '  and  have  wired  him  accordingly. 

I  have  seen  quite  a  little  of  Harte,  the  Y.M.C.A.  secre- 
tary here,  have  been  to  a  couple  of  meetings,  and  have 
been  asked  to  speak  in  the  near  future  on  Yale  athletics. 
I  don't  want  to  at  all,  as  I'm  no  good  at  speaking,  but  as 
I  suppose  it  will  interest  them  here,  I've  offered  to  try. 
Besides  a  man  must  learn  sometime.  I'm  a  bit  blue  at 
Purdy's  departure,  as  it  seems  like  the  severing  of  the 
last  tie  that  binds ;  but  I  expect  the  feeling  will  wear  off 
as  soon  as  I  get  fairly  started.  It  may  take  me,  however, 


214  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

some  time  to  arrange  for  a  shoot  here  and  elsewhere. 
Love  to  all.    Your  loving  son,  AMASA. 

GALLE  FACE  HOTEL,  Colombo,  April  15,  1908. 
DEAR  FATHER:  Although  I  miss  him  keenly  enough 
already,  and  will  miss  him  more  and  more  as  time  goes 
on,  I  have  been  too  busy  since  Purdy  left,  to  be  lonely. 
Not  social  life,  for  I  am  in  no  mood  for  that  -  and  except 
for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bolton,  Mr.  Severance,  and  Dr.  Ludlow 
and  a  few  acquaintances,  I  know  no  one  in  Colombo -but 
getting  ready  for  my  trip.  As  the  bag  containing  all  my 
shooting  clothes  and  soiled  linen  for  a  month,  riding  togs, 
sweater,  flannel  shirts,  woolen  socks,  old  underwear,  boots, 
shoes,  gaiters,  rubber  coat,  cartridge  belts,  telescope,  etc., 
has  been  lost,  I  have  had  to  get  a  scant  supply  more,  as 
one  can't  shoot  in  ordinary  clothes,  they'd  be  torn  to 
pieces  by  the  thorns  in  the  jungle.  Everyone  assures  me 
it  is  very  thick  and  thorny  in  the  low  country,  as  well  as 
swampy  and  unhealthy.  It  is  also  cheering  to  be  told 
that  this  is  the  hottest  and  most  unpleasant  time  of  year. 
I  have  got  a  medicine  kit  with  all  sorts  of  things  for  my 
coolies,  trackers,  and  self,  and  instructions  as  to  their 
use  from  a  sporting  doctor  here,  as  recent  events  have 
made  me  wish  to  take  every  precaution.  The  dampness 
of  the  swampy  jungles  will,  in  fact,  militate  against  me 
in  still  another  way,  since  at  this  time  of  year,  there  being 
plenty  of  water,  the  animals  keep  well  to  the  thickest  of 
the  jungles,  finding  it  unnecessary  to  frequent  the  water 
holes.  I've  got  plenty  of  quinine,  carbolic  oil  for  leaches, 
citronella  (an  old  favorite  of  Con)  for  the  innumerable 
ticks  and  mosquitoes,  which  are  said  to  be  terrible,  par- 
ticularly the  former  (little  brutes !),  bandages,  snake  anti- 
dotes, tweezers  for  thorns,  leach  gaiters,  etc.  I've  gotten 
hold  of  some  excellent  books  on  sport  in  Ceylon,  by  Sir 
Samuel  Baker,  Storey,  and  others,  besides  splendid  first 
hand  information,  notably  from  "  one-eyed  "  Robinson, 
a  dear  delightful  chap,  accounted  the  greatest  hunter  in 


one]  HAMBANTOTA  215 

the  island.  He  has  given  me  a  good  many  letters,  and 
labors  under  the  delusion  that  everyone  in  New  York  car- 
ries revolvers  at  their  hips  and  bowie  knives  in  their 
jack-boots.  I  have  done  nothing  to  disabuse  him.  I 
shipped  all  my  provisions,  bed,  tents,  chair  and  table, 
cooking  pots,  tiffin  basket,  shooting  kit,  etc.,  off  yesterday 
to  Matare,  whence  they  will  proceed  to  Hambantota,  my 
point  of  departure  by  bullock  carts.  As  this  takes  two 
days,  and  I  can  do  it  in  one  by  the  mail  coach,  I  won't 
leave  until  this  afternoon.  I  have  not  heard  from  you  in 
reply  to  my  last  cable,  but  hardly  expected  to,  as  the 
cable  before,  telling  of  my  intention  to  shoot  in  Ceylon 
and  Africa,  would  naturally  lead  you  to  suppose  that  I 
had  already  started.  The  Boltons  left  yesterday -most 
pleasant  people,  whom  I've  enjoyed  immensely,  having 
been  with  them  at  Benares,  Agra,  Delhi,  Bombay,  a  few 
hours  at  Madras,  and  here. 

The  hotel  has  been  jammed  the  past  few  days,  as  sev- 
eral mail  boats  have  stopped  for  a  day  or  so  en  route 
east  and  west.  People  have  been  sleeping  in  the  parlors 
and  eating  on  the  porches.  It  has  been  very  gay  here  at 
night  in  the  balconies  and  gardens,  and  we  have  had  sev- 
eral dances.  Quantities  of  fine-looking  chaps  going  home 
on  leave,  and  many  fair  dames  and  demoiselles.  I,  how- 
ever, have  eschewed  the  festive  scene,  and  strictly  medi- 
tate the  thankless  muse  in  the  outward  and  visible  form 
of  books  on  travel,  history,  and  sport.  I've  also  been 
dipping  more  deeply,  during  the  past  months,  into  Dick- 
ens and  Meredith.  I'm  glad  I  never  read  Our  Mutual 
Friend  before -I  think  it  second  only  to  David  Copper- 
field.  I  have  much  enjoyed  the  Travels  in  Tartary  and 
Thibet  written  by  L'Abbe  Hue,  in  the  fifties.  More  later. 

HAMBANTOTA,  April  17. 

My  shikari,  H.  Peris,  Esq.,  with  my  bag  of  clothes,  some 
dozens  of  necessary  soda  bottles,  my  battery  and  ammuni- 
tion, got  off  the  afternoon  of  the  day  I  started  this  letter, 


216  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

on  the  three  o  'clock  train  for  Matare.  I,  however,  missed 
it,  owing  to  my  rickshaw-boy  mistaking  the  station.  I 
accordingly  bought  a  novel  Romola  and  took  the  four- 
thirty  train  to  Mount  Lavinia,  a  seaside  resort,  the  hotel 
catering  mostly  to  dinner  and  tea  parties  from  Colombo, 
and  being  very  old  and  famous,  something  like  the  Star- 
and-Garter,  at  Richmond.  There  is  excellent  surf  bathing 
here  in  a  shark-proof  lagoon.  I  had  a  stroll  about,  and 
dined  with  a  purple-faced,  white-whiskered  Britisher  who 
took  a  sarcastic  fling  at  nearly  everything  under  the  sun, 
but  not  without  humor.  I  left  at  eight  o'clock  in  the 
evening  in  a  violent  tropical  thunder  storm,  for  PoimVde- 
Galle.  I  arrived  there  about  half  past  twelve  in  the  morn- 
ing, drove  to  the  hotel,  situate  within  the  sunken  moss- 
grown  walls  of  the  old  Dutch  fort,  and  turned  in,  in 
Robinson  Crusoe's  attire,  after  a  stiff  whiskey-and-soda 
and  a  biscuit.  Up  at  five-thirty  with  no  ill-affects  from 
my  drenching,  and  entrained  for  Matare,  where  I  met  my 
shikari  in  a  state  of  considerable  excitement,  as  he 
thought  I  was  lost.  We  took  coach  at  ten  in  the  morning, 
arriving  here  about  seven- thirty  -  forty-eight  miles.  It 
was  a  most  pleasant  ride,  though  long,  hot  and  bumpy. 
About  seven  a  great  red  moon  rose  over  the  marshes,  and 
the  myriads  of  water  fowl  of  many  sorts,  which  had  been 
circling  about  in  the  cool  of  the  late  afternoon,  grew 
quiet.  The  moon  was  so  red  I  took  it  for  a  conflagration 
at  first ;  then  we  saw  a  curious  effect.  Over  in  the  west, 
where  the  dying  embers  of  a  brilliant  sunset  were  still 
sullenly  glowing  amidst  dark  storm  clouds,  a  surprising 
electrical  disturbance  took  place  -  lightning  rippled  and 
rolled  about  like  fireworks -while  in  the  east,  the  sky  was 
clear,  and  the  moon  calm  and  bright.  After  dinner  I  sat 
out  on  the  veranda  of  the  little  government  rest-house, 
which  overhangs  a  beautiful  shingled  cove,  and  watched 
the  moonlight  on  the  combers,  which,  rolling  darkly  in, 
were  tumbled  into  long  slithers  of  white  curling  foam; 
and  the  black  shadows  of  the  canoes  and  catamarans 


one]  HAMBANTOTA  217 

drawn  up  beneath  the  palm  trees.  This  morning  I  called 
on  Mr.  Schraeder,  the  government  agent  for  this  pro- 
vince, to  whom  I  had  a  note  from  J.  J.  Robinson,  to  talk 
over  the  best  country,  and  to  arrange  for  my  gun  and 
game  licenses.  My  scheme  is  the  following:  I  decided 
first  to  go  to  Palatupana,  following  an  old  trail  which 
runs  along  near  the  coast,  poking  into  the  jungle,  and 
shooting  what  I  could,  en  route.  This  was  supposed  to 
have  been  good  country  for  deer  and  sambur,  but  has 
been  much  shot  over  of  late.  After  a  day's  stop  here,  I 
shall  push  on  to  Kumane,  having  received  kind  and  spe- 
cial permission  from  Mr.  Schraeder  to  travel  through  the 
Insular  Reserve,  which  is  closed  to  non-resident  sports- 
men, and  the  Game  Sanctuary,  a  thing  which  is  seldom 
allowed. 

Kumane  is  said  to  be  very  wild  and  very  gamey- 
there  is  a  dilapidated  rest-house  there,  a  village  of  some 
five  or  six  houses,  and  a  rogue  elephant  in  the  vicinity. 
A  rogue  elephant  is  one  who  has  gone  bad,  on  the  ram- 
page, an  attacker  of  man,  and  a  destroyer  of  crops.  This 
one  has  been  creating  havoc  thereabouts  since  1905,  when 
he  was  first  officially  declared  a  rogue,  and  a  price  of 
Rs.  100  has  been  put  upon  his  head.  I  decided  not  to  in- 
dulge myself  in  an  elephant  license,  which  costs  Rs.  100, 
but  to  try  for  this  old  rascal  instead.  Also  I  got  two 
special  licenses  for  wild  buffalo,  quite  a  different  propo- 
sition from  the  ubiquitous  domesticated  water-buffalo, 
and  generally  accounted  third  in  the  list  of  dangerous  game 
among  sportsmen  of  the  Far  East.  Rogue  elephant  is 
first,  tiger,  second  -  though  as  he  is  generally  shot  from 
elephant  howdahs  or  from  a  "  machan  "  built  up  over  a 
"kill,"  he  really  shouldn't  hold  this  place -the  buffalo, 
third.  In  this  class  of  course  are  put  those  animals  which 
correspond  to  him  in  different  countries  -  the  bison  of 
India,  the  gaur  of  Burma,  the  cape  buffalo  of  Africa,  the 
seladong  of  Siam,  and  the  banteng  of  Java  and  Sumatra. 
The  rhinoceros  is  fourth,  and  the  lion  fifth.  This  may 


218  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

seem  strange,  but  the  king  of  beasts  is  neither  so  fierce 
nor  so  tenacious  of  life  as  are  the  others  and  has  not  the 
horrible  sneaking  stealth  of  the  tiger.  Sixth  is  leopard 
and  panther,  and  seventh,  I  believe,  wild  boar.  This  of 
course  is  not  taking  into  account  our  own  grizzly  bear, 
which,  however,  would  not  enjoy  the  reputation  which  he 
does  for  tenacity  of  life  were  the  same  large  caliber  and 
high  power  rifles  used  on  him  as  are  used  on  most  big 
game  in  the  East.  I  quote  from  Mr.  T.  E.  MacMechan : 

The  Elements  of  danger  in  African  hunting  are  a  revelation 
to  an  American  sportsman.  African  game  is  placed  in  this 
ratio  of  risk:  one -buffalo;  two  -  rhinoceros ;  three -lion. 
The  buffalo  is  feared  because,  as  the  hunter  asserts,  the  beast 
"does  not  play  the  game."  It  is  considered  the  most  vicious 
and  cunning  of  all  African  game.  It  attacks  without  provo- 
cation, seeming  to  take  delicious  satisfaction  in  killing  man. 
When  wounded  or  even  angered,  its  ruse  is  to  lure  its  enemy 
into  the  bush,  which  grows  higher  than  a  man's  head,  by  pre- 
tending flight.  Then  the  animal  doubles  upon  its  tracks  and 
makes  its  sudden  attack  from  ambush  as  the  unsuspecting 
hunter  advances  on  the  forward  trail.  .  .  The  charge  of  the 
buffalo  is  like  a  thunder-bolt,  and  a  lunge  from  its  horns  is 
nearly  always  fatal,  even  if  the  hunter  is  rescued  before  being 
trampled  to  death.  .  . 

The  rhinoceros  is  dreaded  because  no  hunter  knows  when 
and  where  he  will  find  the  animal.  Its  habit  of  secluding 
itself  in  unsuspected  haunts  makes  it  the  nightmare  of  the 
hunter.  The  hunt  may  be  for  lions  or  antelope,  and  at  the 
wrong  moment  the  rhino  will  appear.  Then  there  is  a  gen- 
eral scattering.  The  beast  scents  for  a  great  distance.  Not 
being  able  to  see  beyond  a  few  feet,  its  attack  is  guided  by 
its  sense  of  smell,  and  aided  by  remarkably  acute  hearing.  .  . 
Armor  plated,  like  a  battleship,  this  horned-ram  charges  with 
the  force  of  a  catapult.  Nothing  withstands  the  furious  storm 
of  its  onset,  thorn  trees  topple  in  the  path  of  the  beast,  brush 
is  mown  down  like  wheat.  No  shot  can  penetrate  the  armour- 
ed front  unless  a  chance  bullet  from  a  side  angle  enters  the 
brain  through  the  eye. 


one]  HAMBANTOTA  219 

This  next  sentence,  although  not  pertinent  to  Ceylon, 

is  very  interesting.    I  am  quoting  from  the  same  article : 

The  wild  dogs  of  Africa  are  more  feared  by  the  natives 

than  any  other  beast,  for  while  they  are  not  to  be  dignified  by 

the  term  of  "game",  they  hunt  in  packs  and  seem  to  know 

that  the  natives  are  afraid  of  them. 

I  also  got  two  general  game  licenses  entitling  me  to 
six  deer  and  sambur.  No  license  is,  of  course,  required 
for  leopard  (there  are  no  tiger  in  Ceylon),  bear  (the 
Cingalese  variety  is  a  small  sloth-bear),  wild  boar,  or 
crocodile,  they  being  classed  as  vermin.  Unfortunately 
for  the  larder,  this  is  the  closed  season  for  pea-fowl. 

There  are  a  great  many  Moormen  in  this  part  of  the 
island.  My  head  tracker,  a  fine  bearded  fellow,  is  of  that 
persuasion  and  extraction.  The  population  of  Ceylon 
consists  of  the  seven  following  ingredients:  first,  Ved- 
dahs  (Aborigines) ;  second,  Cingalese  (who  came  over 
from  India  about  the  fourth  century,  and  conquered  and 
held  all  except  the  most  mountainous  and  jungly  parts  of 
the  island.  The  greatest  glory  of  their  kingdom  was 
about  twelve  centuries  ago,  when  Anuradhpura  flourished 
as  the  capital.  Kandy  was  their  seat  of  power  when  the 
English  conquered  the  island) ;  third,  Tamils,  (inhabit- 
ants of  southern  India,  who  several  times  invaded  Ceylon 
during  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  and  who  are 
now  used  as  coolies  and  tea  pickers  on  estates,  as  the 
Cingalese,  like  the  Burman,  is  lazy  and  proud;  they  are 
all  Hindoos,  while  the  Cingalese  are  Buddhists) ;  fourth, 
Moormen  (Mohammedans) ;  fifth,  Burghers  (a  good  stock 
of  Dutch  and  Cingalese  descent,  dating  from  the  days 
when  Ceylon  belonged  to  Holland) ;  sixth,  Eurasians  (of 
later  date,  and  therefore  less  good  social  position.  These 
are  mostly  employed  as  clerks  and  railway  officials) ;  sev- 
enth, Europeans.  There  are  also  smatterings  of  other 
Indian  races,  Arab,  Greek,  and  Armenian  money  lenders, 
Chinese  washermen,  and  Sikh  soldiers.  There  is  only 


220  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

one  regiment  of  '  *  Tommies ' '  in  Ceylon,  but  they  are 
artillery. 

The  carts  have  not  yet  arrived. 

April  18. 

The  carts  arrived  about  two  o  'clock  yesterday  afternoon. 
I  gave  the  bullocks  a  three  hours'  rest,  and  then  started 
for  Kirende,  eight  miles  over  fair  jungle  road.  Arrived 
there  about  eight,  having  seen  nothing  en  route,  as  it  was 
dark  shortly  after  six.  Got  through  dinner  and  turned  in 
at  eleven,  and  slept  rather  brokenly  until  four- thirty.  The 
start  from  camp  this  first  morning  was  necessarily  slow, 
as  my  forces  have  not  yet  gotten  in  good  working  order  - 
we  don't  know  one  another  yet.  Things  are  not  properly 
packed  and  arranged,  necessaries  being  generally  found 
at  the  bottom  of  the  boxes,  and  each  man  does  not,  as  yet, 
understand  what  is  his  particular  little  stunt,  and  there- 
fore does  not  do  it.  The  reason  I  pushed  right  on  yester- 
day afternoon,  instead  of  waiting  until  this  morning,  as 
Peris  and  the  tracker  wished  to  do,  is  because  of  the 
memory  of  the  Formosan  trip.  Most  Orientals  work  fairly 
well  if  they  get  started  right,  and  realize  that '  *  master  ' ' 
won't  stand  for  any  "monkey-business."  They  try  to 
impose  upon  one  at  first,  and  if  they  find  themselves  suc- 
cessful, will  be  very  lazy  and  slack,  creating  all  sorts  of 
difficulties.  They  take  no  pride  in  their  work  for  its  own 
sake.  Energy  and  even  harshness  at  first  have  a  very 
good  effect,  and  I  am  hoping  that  by  a  judicious  use  of 
both,  I  shall  get  along  smoothly.  The  personnel  of  the 
expedition  is  as  follows:  Peris  (Cingalese  Kitmagar- 
personally  recommended  to  me  by  Saunders,  a  friend  of 
Taylor  and  Robinson,  and  the  only  one  of  the  party  who 
speaks  more  than  a  word  or  two  of  English.  He  seems 
much  better  stuff,  though  less  eloquent,  than  Sirdar  of 
blessed  memory) ;  the  tracker  (a  lithe  and  muscular  Mo- 
hammedan) ;  the  cook  (a  proud  man  who  has  a  small  boy 
to  assist  him) ;  a  so-called  taxidermist  (whom  Peris 
brought  along  to  look  after  trophies,  as  they  need  instant 


one]  HAMBANTOTA  221 

attention  in  this  climate  on  account  of  the  humidity, 
numerous  vermin  and  ants);  a  Cingalese  "boy"  (who 
ministers  to  my  wants) ;  two  carters,  two  carts  and  twelve 
bullocks,  and  four  coolies  to  act  as  gun-carriers,  kodak, 
water-bottle,  etc.  carriers,  and  hewers  of  wood  and  draw- 
ers of  water  -  which,  by  the  way,  is  horribly  muddy  stuff 
which  I  have  to  carefully  boil  and  filter.  Eesidents  oc- 
casionally do  a  trip  with  a  smaller  outfit,  but  most  tran- 
sients, I  am  told,  take  twice  as  many  carts  and  men.  One 
cart  I  keep  empty  to  sleep  and  travel  in  at  night.  I  like 
to  rough  it,  as  you  know,  but  many  things  which  would 
be  scorned  as  luxuries  in  Canada  or  New  Brunswick,  are 
practical  necessities  here.  Such  are,  for  instance,  a  bed 
and  a  mosquito  curtain,  ground  mats,  table  and  camp 
chairs,  Indian  lounge  chair  (it's  dangerous  to  lie  on  the 
ground,  especially  when  exhausted),  soda  water,  bath  tub, 
filter,  an  ample  medicine  kit,  etc. 

Well,  by  the  time  chota  hazri  was  over  and  things  were 
packed,  it  was  nearly  six,  and  quite  light,  though  the  sun 
was  not  yet  up.  I  sent  the  carts  along  the  track -by 
courtesy  called  road -with  orders  to  wait  on  the  other 
side  of  a  river  about  eight  miles  from  Kirende,  and  went 
off  myself  into  the  jungle,  with  the  head  tracker,  Peris 
and  a  couple  of  coolies.  Saw  plenty  of  fresh  tracks,  but 
no  game  except  one  hind  and  some  small  crocodiles.  About 
eight-thirty,  when  it  grew  hot,  and  all  game  goes  back 
into  the  deep  jungle,  I  shot  a  couple  of  pigeon,  which, 
however,  the  coolies  failed  to  recover  in  very  thorny 
scrub.  Came  upon  a  small  jungle  village  in  a  clearing, 
and  being  very  hot  and  wet  through,  I  got  a  boy  to  climb 
a  palm  tree  and  bring  me  down  some  young  green  cocoa- 
nut.  This  was  my  first  venture  at  this  famous  beverage, 
and  I  found  it  deliciously  refreshing -cool,  acid,  and 
slightly  sweet.  Came  to  the  river  at  ten,  stripped  and  had 
a  bath  in  its  swift,  breast  high,  muddy  waters.  The  sun 
was  now  high  and  blistering,  and  as  it  is  the  custom  in 
these  parts  to  halt  from  nine-thirty  or  ten  in  the  morning 


222 EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS [Vol. 

to  three  in  the  afternoon -there  being  no  game  afoot,  and 
too  hot  to  travel,  or  even  shoot  birds  - 1  had  my  table  and 
chairs  placed  beneath  a  spreading  banyan  tree  and  par- 
took of  a  welcome  breakfast.  I  dozed  and  read  Sir  Ed- 
ward Creasy 's  Fifteen  Decisive  Battles  of  the  World  till 
two-thirty,  when  I  had  tea,  jam,  and  biscuits  (of  course  I 
mean  crackers  but  threw  in  the  other  word  to  show  you 
how  thoroughly  British  I  have  become).  At  three  I  started 
again,  keeping  along  the  road,  as  it  was  very  swampy 
elsewhere.  About  five,  I  espied  some  good  jungle  and 
sending  the  carts  on  to  Palatupana  (about  thirteen  miles 
from  where  we  had  breakfast  at  the  river)  I  plunged  in 
with  the  head  tracker  and  two  coolies.  Saw  several  pea- 
cock, wild  pig,  and  two  more  spotted  hinds.  It  got  dark 
shortly  after  six- thirty.  I  reached  here  (Palatupana)  at 
eight-thirty  and  am  dead  tired.  Glorious  moon  tonight. 

April  20. 

Yesterday,  I  shall  have  to  always  account  as  one  of  the 
most  miserable  days  of  my  existence -hitherto.  Except 
when  actually  sick  in  bed,  I  don't  know  when  I  have  felt 
worse.  I  hardly  slept  a  wink  all  night,  on  account  of  heat, 
ticks,  and  mosquitoes.  I  got  up  at  four-thirty  as  tired  as 
when  I  had  lain  down,  and  with  no  cool  morning  air  to 
brace  one  up,  as  at  home.  It  did  not  occur  to  me  then  that 
I  might  have  fever.  By  seven-thirty  the  sun  was  already 
hot,  and  I  was  covered  with  perspiration.  The  lukewarm 
tea  in  my  Thermos  bottle  was  all  gone  and  I  was  dead 
beat.  Although  it  seemed  splendid  country  for  game,  lots 
of  open  grassy  spots,  pools  of  water  and  marshes,  still  I 
was  just  on  the  point  of  turning  back  to  camp  when  a 
noble  sambur  broke  cover  about  twenty  yards  ahead  of 
me.  I  swung  up  my  gun,  but  the  tracker  was  dead  be- 
tween us  and  he  got  away  -  not  much  frightened.  With 
infinite  caution,  stooping  and  crawling  and  picking  our 
way  through  the  thorns,  we  followed,  and  in  about  half  an 
hour  came  up  to  him  again.  The  jungle  was  thick  here 


HAMBANTOTA  223 


and  he  was  some  fifty  yards  off,  and  as  he  saw  or  smelt 
us  first,  he  went  off  on  the  jump  and  I  made  a  miserable 
miss.  The  tracker  did  not  seem  to  me  to  be  doing  the 
right  thing.  He  had  taken  the  lead,  as  I  was  tired,  and 
had  followed  directly  up-wind,  which  a  North  American 
Indian  would  never  dream  of  doing,  hence  the  sambur  was 
away  before  I  got  a  good  chance.  I  therefore  motioned 
to  him  to  make  a  detour  so  as  to  avoid  having  our  scent 
blown  along  ahead  of  us,  and  to  strike  the  sambur 's  trail 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  further  on.  These  tactics  were, 
however,  only  partially  successful.  We  got  close  to  him, 
right  enough  -  eighteen  or  twenty  yards -but  the  jungle 
was  so  thick  that  we  could  only  hear  him  go  crashing 
away  and  I  didn  't  get  another  shot.  The  North  American 
Indians,  I  believe,  understand  animals  better  than  these 
chaps,  since  the  livelihood  of  those  who  live  in  the  great 
forests  of  Canada  has  depended  for  generations  on  the 
accuracy  of  their  knowledge,  and  the  success  of  their 
methods  of  hunting,  whereas  the  East  Indian  is  a  tiller 
of  the  soil,  not  dependant  upon  game.  Our  Indians  are 
also,  I  believe,  for  this  reason,  much  better  and  keener 
trackers.  Well,  the  sambur  seemed  pretty  well  alarmed 
by  this  time,  so  after  another  mile  or  so  we  turned  around ; 
the  sun  was  too  deuced  hot!  Just  before  reaching  the 
camp  at  Palatupana,  we  got  sight  of  a  spotted  deer  buck 
feeding  in  a  great  open  plain.  I  ran  as  fast  as  I  could 
under  cover  of  the  jungle,  and  got  to  leeward  of  him,  then 
crawled  out  under  the  scorching  sun  to  a  little  bush 
within  one  hundred  yards,  whence  I  tried  a  shot.  Fool- 
ishly, I  didn't  wait  till  I'd  recovered  my  wind  and  gotten 
steady,  but  simply  let  her  go,  puffing  as  I  was.  Result,  I 
only  got  him  in  the  hip,  and  away  he  went.  I  fired  three 
times  more  before  he  reached  cover,  but  with  no  effect. 
We  tracked  him  a  mile  or  so,  but  he  was  going  strong,  so 
gave  it  up  and  returned  to  the  ramshackle  bungalow,  well 
used  up  and  short  of  temper  at  two  bad  misses.  I  was 
particularly  afraid  this  might  have  a  bad  effect  on  my 


224  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

gun-bearers  and  tracker  should  we  encounter  dangerous 
game,  as  unless  they  have  confidence  in  the  sportsman, 
they  are  liable  to  bolt  in  the  event  of  a  charge,  and  leave 
you  without  your  spare  gun.  After  breakfast  I  lay  mo- 
tionless in  my  lounge  chair,  feet  and  arms  extended,  try- 
ing to  rest.  There  was  not  a  breath  of  air  stirring,  and  it 
seemed  as  hot  under  the  low  roofed  bungalow  as  outside. 
The  perspiration  was  simply  pouring  off  me  in  streams, 
and  I  soon  got  fidgety  and  nervous,  and  developed  a  split- 
ting headache.  The  reason  that  the  heat  of  the  tropics  is 
so  tremendously  prostrating  is  not  because  it  is  propor- 
tionately greater  than  that  of  a  humid  July  day  in  the 
temperate  zone,  for  instance,  but  because  the  rays  of  the 
sun  are  so  much  more  direct.  The  nearer  one  gets  to  the 
poles  the  greater  is  the  angle  of  slant.  It  is  the  terrible 
Actinic  ray,  which  we  miss  altogether  at  home,  which  is 
most  penetrating  and  most  to  be  dreaded.  Residents  say 
it  will  give  you  sunstroke  even  under  one  thickness  of 
canvas  and  certainly  if  wearing  an  ordinary  hat !  At  three- 
thirty  I  had  tea  and  went  out  again.  About  five  miles 
from  camp  I  came  upon  a  beautiful  grassy  water-hole.  I 
built  a  blind  here,  and  waited  till  dark,  but  nothing  came 
up  except  some  wild  pigs,  birds,  two  doe,  and  a  fawn.  How- 
ever, we  heard  a  leopard  coughing  and  snarling  about  half 
a  mile  off  as  we  were  coming  home.  That  evening  I 
thought  I  would  take  my  temperature,  and  found  it  to  be 
101°,  and  the  pulse  low.  I  accordingly  took  a  tremendous 
dose  of  quinine.  The  excessive  perspiration  I  accounted 
a  good  sign,  when  one  has  fever.  I  decided  to  go  on  at 
once  to  Kumane  through  the  two  reserves,  as  there  was 
no  use  trying  to  hunt  while  in  this  condition.  I  slept 
better  last  night,  and  feel  better  today.  Took  another  good 
dose  of  quinine,  in  addition  to  my  daily  morning  dose  of 
four  grains  in  the  tropics,  and  only  walked  till  eight  in 
the  morning,  after  which  I  rode  in  the  cart.  We  camped 
at  ten  again,  and  had  breakfast.  About  two  o'clock,  it 
rained  heavily,  which  cooled  and  freshened  things  a  bit. 


MY  BULLOCK  CARTS  CROSSING  THE  YALA  RIVF.R 


MY  FIRST  WATER-BUPPALO 


HAMBANTOTA  227 


At  four-thirty  we  reached  Yala  Eiver,  and  I  had  a  re- 
freshing swim.  We  pushed  on  about  three  miles,  and 
then  outspanned  the  carts  near  a  pool  in  a  large  open 
plain.  I  shall  sleep  in  the  cart  tonight. 

April  22. 

Felt  much  better  yesterday.  Only  tramped  about  two 
and  one-half  hours  in  the  cool  of  the  morning,  and  the 
same  in  the  evening,  riding  in  the  cart  the  rest  of  the 
time.  Saw  a  magnificent  sight  this  morning.  About  six- 
thirty,  as  I  was  walking  on  ahead  of  the  carts,  a  wild 
elephant  suddenly  stepped  out  of  the  jungle  some  fifty 
yards  ahead  of  me,  crossed  the  track  like  a  shadow,  and 
disappeared  in  the  jungle  beyond.  He  made  no  noise 
either  coming  or  going,  and  though  I  ran  forward  to  the 
place  where  he  had  disappeared,  the  jungle  had  already 
swallowed  him  up  as  completely  and  effectively  as  the 
ocean  would  have  done.  Of  course  I  couldn't  have  shot 
him,  even  had  I  been  quick  enough,  as  I  had  no  license, 
and  am  in  a  game  preserve  anyway.  Saw  any  quantity 
of  deer  and  plenty  of  wild  buffalo,  but  of  course  kept  my 
guns  in  their  cases.  I  was  not  surprised  at  the  buffalo 
being  so  bold -some  of  the  bulls,  indeed,  were  quite 
threatening -big  noble  brutes,  tossing  their  horns  and 
challenging  us,  but  even  the  deer  allowed  the  carts  within 
five  or  six  hundred  yards.  I  don't  think  there  is  any 
question,  in  the  minds  of  people  who  know,  but  that 
animals  understand  what  a  sanctuary  means,  as  well  as 
humans.  They  know  a  good  deal  about  a  rifle  too,  tra- 
jectory, speed,  and  sighting  are  as  familiar  to  them  as  to 
a  gunsmith.  Last  night  my  men  caught  some  fish  with  a 
net,  in  a  small  lagoon.  About  eleven  o'clock  today  we 
reached  the  Kumbukkan  River,  the  largest  so  far,  and 
crossed  it,  putting  up  here  at  the  half-ruined  bungalow. 
We  had  to  unload  and  carry  over  the  contents  of  the 
carts,  as  even  at  the  ford  the  water  was  breast  high,  and 
the  current  swift.  About  half  past  three  I  sallied  forth, 
and  in  an  hour  or  so  espied  a  lone  bull  buffalo,  taking 


228  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

his  ease  in  the  midst  of  a  swamp.  It  seemed  a  shame  to 
take  advantage  of  so  noble  a  foe  while  unsuspecting  and 
unprotected,  but  he  had  a  good  head  and  I  thought  I 
wouldn't  take  any  chances  with  my  first  buff,  till  I  saw 
how  formidable  they  were.  I  accordingly  crawled  to 
within  sixty  yards  to  leeward  of  him,  and  let  him  have 
it  with  the  500/450  in  the  chest.  He  got  up  gamely 
enough,  and  started  for  us,  but  fell  dead  before  he  had 
gone  ten  feet.  The  horns  measured  thirty-three  and  one- 
half  inches  across.  The  record  head  for  Ceylon  is  forty 
inches,  so  that  mine  is  well  above  the  average. 

April  23. 

Being  in  need  of  fresh  meat,  I  shot  a  hind  this  morning 
for  the  pot,  which  pleased  all  hands.  Saw  some  more 
buffs,  but  none  as  good  as  my  own.  I  scanned  them  all 
carefully  with  glasses.  The  jungle  here  is  the  worst  I've 
seen  yet.  I  am  wearing  sneakers,  as  they  are  practically 
noiseless,  but  don't  keep  the  thorns  out.  Luckily  I  have 
been  able  to  pull  all  mine  out  without  breaking  them,  as 
a  broken  thorn  makes  a  badly  festered  wound.  As  I  was 
coming  back  to  camp  about  five-thirty  this  afternoon,  my 
trackers  and  coolies  and  Peris  stopped  to  drink  at  a  pool 
and  I  went  on  ahead  with  a  village  lad  of  about  seven 
years,  who  had  attached  himself  to  the  outfit.  Suddenly 
we  saw  a  splash  in  a  distant  pool.  *  *  Buffalo, ' '  he  ex- 
claimed in  Cingalese,  and  keeping  under  cover  we  went 
forward  as  quickly  as  we  could  to  get  a  view  of  him.  As 
we  came  through  some  scrub  near  the  edge  of  the  pool, 
he  reared  up  and  out,  and  seeing  at  a  glance  that  it  was  a 
good  head,  I  let  him  have  the  right  barrel.  He  wheeled, 
threatening  to  charge,  so  I  banged  him  again  with  the 
left,  and  off  he  dashed  at  speed,  apparently  quite  sound. 
My  tracker,  etc.,  now  came  up,  and  we  warily  started 
after  him  into  thick  jungle,  expecting  to  have  him  at  us 
any  moment.  The  tracker  and  I  went  in  abreast,  he  with 
his  eyes  glued  to  the  spoor,  and  I  with  the  rifle  cocked 


one]  HAMBANTOTA  229 

and  ready,  peering  into  the  jungle  on  all  sides.  We  halt- 
ed and  listened  every  second  -  every  cracking  twig,  every 
rustling  leaf,  drew  our  instant  attention,  but  after  thirty 
paces  we  came  upon  a  great  pool  of  light  red  blood  and 
froth,  and  I  knew  that  I  had  gotten  him  through  the 
lungs.  Ten  feet  farther  on  he  lay,  gasping  his  last,  with 
one  bullet  behind  his  shoulder  and  the  other  through  his 
lungs,  a  good  head  of  thirty-three  inches.  I  was  pretty 
well  pleased  as  the  light  was  none  too  good,  and  he  was 
moving  for  both  shots. 

April  24. 

Came  upon  an  immense  grassy  tank  this  morning,  about 
six  miles  from  camp.  It  must  have  been  four  or  five 
miles  in  circumference.  Ceylon  is  studded  with  these 
tanks,  which  form  almost  the  only  remaining  evidence  of 
the  great  civilization  of  her  early  days.  Many  of  them 
are  still  intact  and  full  of  water,  the  filling  and  emptying 
canals  being  in  working  order  today.  The  first  record- 
ed tank  of  which  modern  historians  have  proof,  existed  at 
Mahawansa  as  long  ago  as  430  B.C.  As  time  went  on, 
each  successive  king  and  queen,  knowing  well  the  impor- 
tance of  a  good  water  supply  for  their  subjects,  vied  with 
each  other  in  building  tanks.  From  the  primitive  little 
village  tank,  four  or  five  acres  in  extent -which  is  every- 
where in  use  today -with  its  six  foot  bund  or  embank- 
ment, they  gradually  develop  into  enormous  systems, 
damming  up  whole  rivers,  forming  bunds  miles  in  extent, 
and  up  to  fifty  or  sixty  feet  in  height.  Instead  of  the 
simple  method  employed  in  the  village  tanks  of  cutting  a 
trench  through  the  embankment  to  let  the  water  out,  these 
were  equipped  with  fine  stone  culverts,  having  cut-stone 
sluice-chambers  in  the  inside  of  the  bund,  in  which  were 
fitted,  no  doubt,  sliding  wooden  gates  to  regulate  the  flow 
of  water.  Not  a  drop  of  water  was  wasted ;  every  tank, 
big  or  little,  sent  its  surplus  water  either  from  overflow 
or  from  the  paddy  fields  fed  by  its  channels,  into  another 
tank,  another,  and  another,  and  so  on.  Sometimes  water 


230  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

was  collected  from  many  streams,  or  carried  from  a 
single  river  to  a  tank  anywhere  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles 
away.  The  enormous  Kalawewa  (wewa  means  tank) 
damming  up  the  Kala  Oya  (River)  in  the  North  Central 
Province,  for  instance,  sent  its  water  by  a  huge  canal  a 
distance  of  more  than  fifty  miles  to  supply  the  smaller 
tanks  situate  in  and  around  the  ancient  city  of  Anurad- 
hpura.  The  largest  tanks  covering  an  area  of  two  thou- 
sand to  five  thousand  acres  exist  in  tens;  the  medium 
sized  tanks,  from  five  hundred  to  one  thousand  acres,  ex- 
ist in  hundreds ;  and  the  small  village  tanks,  from  five  to 
fifty  acres,  exist  in  thousands.  I  remember  that  at  Ba- 
dulla,  a  village  Purdy  and  I  coached  through  on  our  way 
to  visit  Taylor  and  Eobinson  at  Passara,  they  had  three 
such  small  tanks.  The  first  was  used  for  drinking  water, 
the  second  for  bathing,  and  the  third  for  washing  clothes, 
etc.  One  finds  these  ancient  tanks  everywhere,  the  least 
used  and  most  ancient,  all  grown  over  by  forests ;  others 
forming  large  plains  of  grass  or  swamp,  with  more  or 
less  water  here  or  there  in  pools.  Of  such  kind  was  the 
one  I  came  upon  this  morning.  Many  have  been  repaired 
by  the  government  irrigation  department,  who  have,  I 
believe,  a  large  staff  of  engineers  employed  on  this  work 
at  the  present  time.  They  are,  of  course,  excellent  places 
for  game  in  the  dry  season,  and  at  all  times  abound  in 
bird  life.  The  sedge,  reeds,  water-weeds,  lotus  growth, 
and  grasses,  hide  thousands  of  birds  of  many  varieties, 
and  there  was  a  never-ending  scene  of  movement  as  they 
flew  here  and  there,  circled  over  head,  rose  or  settled,  and 
dove,  swam,  or  darted  about  in  search  of  their  insect 
food ;  the  cries  and  calls  of  each  species  forming  a  medley 
of  sounds  impossible  to  describe.  Not  being  an  ornithol- 
ogist, or  even  a  naturalist,  I  only  knew  a  few,  but  recog- 
nized pelicans,  darters,  small  cormorants,  whistling  teal, 
coots,  water  pheasants,  red  shanks,  green  shanks,  sand- 
pipers, snipe,  cranes,  herons,  and  a  few  egrets,  whilst 
overhead  were  circling  many  kinds  of  hawks,  kites,  and 


one]  HAMBANTOTA  231 

eagles,  all  engaged  in  the  great  struggle  for  existence. 
A  couple  of  loathsome  crocodiles  were  basking  open- 
mouthed  in  the  sunshine,  repulsive  creatures,  yet  looking 
quite  in  keeping  amidst  their  tropical  surroundings.  The 
effect  of  sunrise  which  I  witnessed  from  this  tank,  was  a 
never  to  be  forgotten  scene.  Several  animals  appeared, 
jackals,  rabbit,  pig,  hinds,  small  buffalo,  but  nothing 
worth  shooting  until  about  eight,  forty-five,  when  I  spied 
a  large  boar  feeding  and  drinking  with  a  small  herd  of 
buffs  about  half  a  mile  distant.  My  zeis  glasses,  as  you 
see,  come  in  most  handily.  I  started  after  this  chap, 
keeping  well  down  to  leeward,  but  after  covering  half  the 
distance,  caught  sight  of  a  small  herd  of  deer  with  two 
nice  buck,  feeding  in  a  small  clearing,  so  started  after 
them.  They  took  the  alarm  at  once,  however,  and  were 
off.  About  forty-five  minutes'  careful  work  brought  us 
again  in  sight  of  them  and  I  tried  a  snap  shot,  but  missed, 
and  they  went  off  at  speed.  The  sound  of  the  shot,  of 
course,  alarmed  the  nearby  tank,  and  returning  to  look 
for  my  boar,  I  found  that  he  and  his  buffs  had  vanished. 
I  was  much  chagrined.  About  half  an  hour  later  we 
caught  sight  of  a  solitary  buck  who  seemed  to  have  a  very 
nice  head.  I  crawled  out  on  my  stomach  under  the  gruel- 
ling sun  until  I  was  well  within  range,  and  dropped  the 
rascal  in  his  tracks.  The  horns  proved  to  be  a  malforma- 
tion, one  very  short,  and  one  quite  long.  By  the  time  he 
was  cut  up,  it  was  almost  eleven,  so  we  started  home  well 
fagged.  I  was  trudging  along  avoiding  thorns,  and 
thinking  of  other  scenes  and  faces,  when  I  was  suddenly 
galvanized  into  life  by  hearing  my  tracker  cry  out 
*  *  Shoot,  master,  shoot !  "  I  whirled  around,  and  there 
was  a  huge  boar  charging  at  us  through  a  thick  tangle  of 
reeds  about  ten  yards  to  the  right  of  the  trail.  I  instant- 
ly tucked  a  dum-dum  into  his  fore-shoulder,  from  the 
9  m.m.  which  I  was  carrying,  and  he  went  down  squealing 
horribly.  He  was  up  again  on  the  instant,  however,  and 
started  for  us  like  the  gallant  stubborn  soul  he  was.  My 


232  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

boys  took  to  the  trees,  for  a  wounded  tusker  is  held  in 
great  respect.  I  knew  that  no  amount  of  lead  in  the  body 
would  stop  him  at  such  close  quarters  before  he  reached 
me,  and  so  tried  for  a  vital  shot,  but  he  was  rearing 
around  so,  on  account  of  his  broken  leg,  that  this  was 
difficult  to  do.  My  next  bullet  caught  him  in  the  flank, 
the  only  result  being  a  terrible  roar.  He  was  getting  so 
close  that  I  jumped  back  and  fired  again,  but  only  pierced 
his  ear,  as  his  head  was  waving  about  angrily.  Next 
time,  however,  I  finished  him  through  the  brain,  and  he 
dropped  within  three  feet  of  me,  a  game  old  beggar  if 
there  ever  was  one !  This  takes  a  long  time  to  tell,  but  I 
don't  suppose  the  four  shots  took  more  than  ten  seconds 
in  the  firing.  He  carried  a  magnificent  pair  of  tusks  and 
was  as  large  an  animal  of  his  kind  as  I  have  ever  seen. 
With  his  head  and  the  deer,  we  again  set  forth  and 
reached  camp  shortly  after  twelve.  Breakfast  was  ready, 
but  I  determined  to  have  a  swim  first,  as  the  river  was 
only  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  away.  I  undressed  on 
the  bank  but  prudently  decided  not  to  leave  my  purse  in 
my  clothes,  so  carried  it  with  my  sun  helmet  and  towel 
across  to  a  pool  on  the  other  side  where  I  meant  to  bathe, 
and  placed  them  on  the  bank.  As  I  was  picking  them  up 
after  finishing  my  bath,  my  foot  slipped  on  the  mud  and 
I  fell  in,  losing  the  purse,  with  my  entire  immediate  for- 
tune, some  £40  odd.  The  water  was  of  the  consistency 
of  that  Cafe-au-lait  which  we  stopped  to  get  one  morning 
long  ago  at  the  little  hostelry  by  the  Handegg  Falls,  but 
did  not,  I  grieve  to  state,  taste  so  good.  After  a  few 
moments  hasty  but  ineffectual  search,  I  called  to  Peris 
and  a  couple  of  coolies  who  were  bathing  not  far  away. 
We  hunted  for  half  an  hour  or  so,  they  with  their  feet 
(the  water  being  shoulder  high  here)  and  I  with  my 
hands.  I  then  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  swift  cur- 
rent must  have  carried  the  purse  down  to  a  great  pool 
about  eight  feet  deep,  a  hundred  yards  or  so  down  stream. 
I  did  not  think  it  would  go  beyond  this,  as  the  farther 


one]  HAMBANTOTA  233 

edge  of  the  pool  rose  very  abruptly  and  the  purse  was 
heavy  laden  with  gold  pieces.  I  had  not  been  bathing 
here,  as  it  looked  a  good  place  for  crocodiles,  and  there 
were  a  number  of  logs  and  branches  about  which  made 
diving  difficult.  I  hunted  for  half  an  hour  and  then  gave 
the  job  up  as  hopeless.  The  only  sure  way  seemed  to  be 
to  dam  up  the  right  channel  of  the  river -it  was  divided 
by  a  low  sandy  island  -  in  which  both  pools  were,  and  un- 
cover the  purse  by  exposing  the  river  bed.  I  accordingly 
selected  the  best  place  for  this  dam,  which  necessitated 
also  a  channel  being  cut  across  the  island  to  carry  off 
some  of  the  water,  and  then  piped  all  hands  to  breakfast, 
as  we  were  tired  and  faint.  Not  having  shovels,  hoes,  or 
axes,  I  anticipated  a  hard  task,  but  how  hard,  I  scarcely 
realized.  We  dug  the  canal  across  the  island,  all  right, 
with  bill  hooks  and  our  hands.  I  managed  to  get  a  few 
planks  from  the  cart  bottoms,  my  table  top,  and  the  door 
of  the  bungalow,  to  start  the  dam  with,  and  braced  them 
heavily  with  stakes.  This,  however,  only  extended  about 
twenty  feet,  a  third  of  the  channel.  Logs,  branches  of 
trees,  lopped  off  with  hatchets  and  knives,  failed  to  stem 
the  remaining  current -we  couldn't  get  sand  in  behind 
them  quick  enough,  and  there  were  no  sizable  stones. 
After  a  couple  of  hours'  work,  and  seeing  my  partially 
constructed  dam  washed  away  several  times,  I  had  to  give 
it  up  in  despair.  There  was  no  shade  in  midstream,  and  I 
almost  had  sunstroke,  though  I  wore  my  helmet  all  the 
time,  my  hands  were  blistered  and  I  was  badly  sunburned 
across  the  back  and  shoulders.  I  had  offered  a  large  re- 
ward in  order  to  stimulate  the  enthusiasm  and  energy  of 
the  men,  and  they  now  volunteered  to  go  and  have  an- 
other look  in  the  place  where  the  purse  had  fallen.  I 
was  very  skeptical,  but  back  we  all  trooped,  and  after 
about  five  minutes  a  shriek  of  joy  from  an  old  white 
whiskered  coolie  announced  the  unearthing  of  my  treas- 
ure trove.  The  notes  were,  of  course,  pulp,  but  £33  in 
gold  was  O.K.  and  I  accordingly  gave  the  old  chap  the 


234  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

£51  had  promised  and  divided  one  more  among  the 
crowd.  Tremendous  excitement  and  wild  and  childish 
exhibitions  of  joy  were  the  result.  The  old  man  had  be- 
come a  millionaire,  and  had  risen  greatly  in  the  estima- 
tion of  his  comrades.  Although  they  congratulated  him 
and  patted  him  on  the  back,  I  could  see  that  a  certain 
amount  of  awe  was  mingled  with  their  salutations.  As 
it  was  five  o'clock  by  this  time,  and  we  were  all  pretty 
well  used  up  with  being  in  the  water  so  long,  I  declared 
the  rest  of  the  afternoon  a  holiday,  and  we  all  went  back 
and  feasted  on  venison,  fish,  plantains  and  cocoanut  milk. 

April  25. 

Last  night  I  sent  off  a  note  to  the  headman  of  the  next 
village,  with  Es.  120,  asking  him  to  send  it  on  to  the  gov- 
ernment agent  at  Batticaloa  (six  days'  travel  up  the  east 
coast)  for  an  elephant  and  another  buffalo  license.  The 
* '  rogue  ' '  had  done  some  damage  here  the  day  before  I 
arrived,  but  had  not  been  seen  since,  and  I  was  anxious 
to  bag  an  elephant.  Today  we  found  another  big  tank,  or 
really  a  lagoon,  as  it  was  only  separated  from  the  sea  by  a 
narrow  strip  of  sand.  The  water  tasted  salty  so  there  was 
no  use  hanging  around.  We  pushed  on  across  the  heavy 
sand  of  the  beach  for  a  couple  of  miles  to  where  a  great 
mass  of  rocks  reared  high  from  a  tangle  of  jungle  growth. 
There  was  a  pool  of  fresh  water  here,  and  it  seemed  a 
likely  place  for  bear  or  leopard  -  but  there  were  no  fresh 
tracks,  so  we  pushed  on  into  the  jungle.  On  the  edge  of 
another  small  tank  I  took  a  picture  of  two  wild  buffs  with 
small  heads,  not  getting  as  close  as  I  should  have  liked, 
as  I  couldn't  hold  both  kodak  and  gun,  and  they  both 
threatened  to  charge.  I  had  brought  a  cold  lunch  with 
me  today,  besides  some  chocolate  and  a  bottle  of  tea,  so 
we  halted  under  a  shady  tree  in  a  clearing,  breakfasted, 
napped,  and  watched  for  game,  till  about  three-fifteen 
when  we  sallied  forth  again.  About  four-thirty  I  had 
an  interesting  five  minutes  -  quite  lively  while  it  lasted. 


one]  HAMBANTOTA  235 

I  caught  a  glimpse  of  what  seemed  a  magnificent  buffalo, 
but  he  was  off  before  I  could  make  sure  how  good  his 
head  really  was.  A  minute  later,  as  we  were  following 
him,  two  spotted  deer  dashed  by,  one  a  buck,  but  I  didn't 
shoot  for  fear  of  frightening  the  buff,  which  I  judged  the 
nobler  quarry.  Another  hundred  yards  and  I  caught 
sight  of  another  solitary  buck  in  a  clearing,  but  pressed 
on.  Suddenly  a  magnificent  sambur  stag  broke  cover 
about  sixty  yards  ahead.  The  temptation  was  too  great 
and  I  ups  and  bangs  him.  He  dashed  on  one  hundred 
yards  or  so  and  then  dropped  dead -with  the  lead  in  his 
heart.  A  splendid  head. 

My  band  contains  several  interesting  characters.  There 
is  one  gaunt  grizzled  coolie  of  six  feet  or  more,  so  old 
that  his  teeth  are  all  gone.  He  has  to  cut  and  mash  up 
his  betel  nut  (which  everyone  in  the  East  chews  to  the 
bloody  disfigurement  of  their  mouths)  with  a  little  con- 
trivance of  his  own  invention.  He  is  constantly  singing 
plaintive  little  snatches  of  song,  especially  when  hard  at 
work.  He  seems  to  see  humor  in  everything,  and  is  con- 
stantly chuckling  and  giggling.  One  night  we  were  put- 
ting up  the  tent  in  a  windstorm,  and  he,  holding  up  one 
of  the  poles,  wrapped  himself  in  a  loose  end  of  canvas 
and  pretended  he  was  a  blushing  young  girl.  A  most 
whimsical  old  party!  Then  there  is  the  coolie  who  re- 
covered my  purse.  He  is  a  keen,  silent  old  man,  wonder- 
fully handy,  always  twisting  pieces  of  rope  from  bits  of 
bark  or  vine,  or  peeling  poles  and  walking-sticks.  When 
not  otherwise  engaged,  he  usually  sits  down  and  pulls 
the  thortas  out  of  my  gaiters.  He  never  points  out  birds 
or  small  game  when  we  are  after  deer  or  buffs,  as  the 
others  do,  being  enough  of  a  sportsman  to  recognize  the 
nobler  quarry.  Peris  says  he  is  very  wise  but  very  queer, 
always  doing  things  in  his  own  peculiar  way.  There  is 
another  chap,  who  seems  to  be  the  butt  of  the  rest.  He  is 
a  very  good  worker,  however,  always  staggering  in  under 
the  largest  load  of  wood  for  the  fire  at  night,  whereas  the 


236  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

strange  silent  man  is  sure  to  have  selected  the  best  and 
dryest  pieces.  When  not  otherwise  employed  this  third 
coolie  will  take  out  a  great  murderous  looking  knife  and 
whet  away  on  it  with  a  piece  of  bone ;  quite  a  sanguinary 
and  ferocious  individual.  The  cook,  as  I  said  before,  is 
a  proud  man -a  magnificent,  supercilious  dandy,  whom  I 
hold  in  reverent  awe.  He  persists  in  covering  all  food 
with  thick  strong  sauces,  so  that  one  can't  tell  whether  it 
be  nice  fresh  venison  or  potted  mutton.  When  I  demon- 
strated to  him  how  I  liked  it  cooked,  he  sniffed  audibly. 
He  doesn't  think  much  of  me,  I'm  afraid,  because  I 
haven't  a  valet  and  a  couple  of  body  servants,  and  be- 
cause I  retire  gracefully  into  pajamas  after  my  evening 
tub,  instead  of  dining  in  a  dinner  jacket  and  boiled  shirt. 
The  head  tracker  is  a  very  keen  clever  chap,  an  East  In- 
dian, perhaps  almost  too  sly.  He  caught  some  fish  in  a 
lagoon  inside  the  sanctuary  with  a  net,  as  we  were  com- 
ing through,  which  I  am  afraid  will  get  us  into  trouble, 
as  there  was  a  watcher  in  camp  that  night. 

April  26. 

About  six-thirty  this  morning  espied  a  splendid  buf- 
falo-may have  been  the  same  one  I  saw  yesterday,  as 
it  was  near  the  same  place.  The  wind  was  fitful,  and  I 
couldn't  get  very  near -two  hundred  and  fifty  yards. 
My  first  bullet  must  have  passed  close  to  his  nose  or  his 
eye,  for  I  saw  him  draw  his  head  quickly  back.  He  tossed 
his  horns  and  started  towards  us,  though  not  directly  at 
us -the  scrub  was  so  thick  that  he  couldn't  see  us,  and  I 
really  don't  know  whether  he  was  trying  to  beat  a  blind 
retreat  or  executing  a  charge.  It  failed  anyhow,  for  we 
laid  low,  and  as  he  passed  I  biffed  him  behind  the  shoul- 
der with  the  express.  Cautiously  we  followed  him  into 
the  jungle.  There  was  profuse  blood,  but  knowing  the 
proverbial  tenacity  of  life  of  tropical  game,  I  expected 
him  on  us  momentarily.  Not  a  sound,  however,  for  a 
hundred  feet  or  so  -  then  a  heavy  stage  groan.  '  *  He 's 
pretty  sick,"  I  said,  and  sure  enough  ten  paces  more  he 


one]  HAMBANTOTA  237 

lay  dead -about  the  size  of  a  baby  elephant  -  a  huge,  mag- 
nificent animal.  His  horn  measurements  were  eighty-one 
inches  from  tip  to  tip,  forty  inches  across  at  the  widest 
point,  and  fifteen  in  circumference  at  the  base  of  the 
horn.2  I  was  so  tickled  to  get  this  rascal  that  I  knocked 
off  for  the  rest  of  the  morning.  Saw  nothing  during  a 
long  afternoon's  hunt,  except  some  hinds.  Bagged  a 
couple  of  teal  at  a  tank  coining  home,  and  took  a  chance 
shot  at  a  boar  over  two  hundred  yards  distant  in  the  dusk, 
about  seven  o'clock,  and  as  he  was  running,  don't  be- 
lieve I  hit  him. 

April  27. 

Early  this  morning  my  messenger  to  the  mudaliyer 
[head  man]  of  the  next  village,  returned  with  my  money 
and  a  note,  saying  that  the  licenses  could  not  possibly 
reach  me  before  my  departure  from  Kumane,  the  date  of 
which  I  had  given  him,  and  he  had  therefore  not  sent  for 
them.  He  advised  me  to  try  for  the  rogue  elephant. 
This  considerably  disquieted  me  since  I  had  already  shot 
my  third  buffalo,  and  would  now  have  no  license  to  show 
for  it.  However,  I  knew  if  the  money  was  once  deposited 
with  the  authorities,  with  the  request  for  a  license,  it  is 
usually  considered  sufficient,  and  as  I  had  acted  in  good 
faith,  and  had  the  mudaliyer's  letter  to  show,  I  hoped  to 
be  able  to  arrange  matters  with  Schraeder  on  my  return. 
It  isn't  the  fine  that  I  mind,  but  I  should  hate  to  have 
Schraeder  think  that  I  had  taken  advantage  of  his  kind- 
ness, especially  after  that  letter  from  Robinson.  I  had 
hardly  finished  chota  hazri,  when  a  breathless  villager 
dashed  up  with  typical  stage  opportuneness,  to  say  that 
the  Rogue  had  just  passed  his  house,  broken  through  a 
fence,  and  disappeared  in  the  jungle  with  a  bunch  of  ba- 

2  I  have  since  found  that  the  following  are  the  measurements  for  the 
record  buffalo  head  of  Ceylon:  Eighty-two  inches  from  tip  to  tip,  forty 
inches  across  at  the  widest  point,  and  fifteen  and  three-quarters  inches  cir- 
cumference at  the  base  of  the  horn.  Mine  was,  therefore,  within  an  inch 
of  being  a  record,  and  a  very  creditable  trophy. 


238  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

nanas.  I  shouldered  a  big  elephant  gun- a  ten  bore  ham- 
mer rifle,  double-barrelled,  shooting  black  powder,  steel 
bullet,  and  weighing  thirteen  pounds!- which  I  had  bor- 
rowed in  Colombo,  as  I  had  no  steel  bullets  for  my  own 
express,  and  we  set  out.  After  two  hours  of  careful 
work,  we  came  up  to  the  mountain  of  a  brute.  He  was 
perhaps  thirty-five  yards  off,  through  densely  thick 
growth,  and  I  could  only  see  him  very  indistinctly.  I 
wished  to  get  closer,  working  up  to  leeward  (as  elephants 
are  known  to  have  poor  eyesight)  but  so  great  was  the 
terror  inspired  by  this  rascal's  depredations,  and  the 
many  unsuccessful  attempts  to  kill  him  which  have  been 
made  during  the  past  three  years,  that  even  my  head 
tracker  kept  urging  me  to  shoot  from  where  I  was.  He 
was  facing  three-quarters  away  from  me,  and  I  accord- 
ingly took  the  best  aim  I  could  at  where  I  supposed  his 
ear  orifice  was  (the  most  fatal  spot)  and  fired.  Instant- 
ly the  head  tracker  with  my  express,  and  Peris  with  my 
twelve-bore  opened  fire,  but  wildly,  shouting  at  the  top  of 
their  lungs.  Peris  told  me  afterwards  that  the  coolies  all 
began  climbing  trees  at  this  juncture.  I  was  too  excited 
at  the  time  to  notice  them.  The  elephant  was  squealing 
and  trumpeting  and  tearing  things  up  generally,  but  the 
smoke  from  my  first  discharge  was  too  thick  to  enable  me 
to  get  in  my  second  barrel  before  he  made  off  at  speed. 
Again  we  took  up  the  trail.  The  tracker  found  bits  of 
bone  in  the  great  splashes  of  blood  which  marked  the  trail, 
and  made  sure  he  had  been  hard  hit.  We  followed  slowly 
for  an  hour  and  then  came  upon  him  again.  As  he  dashed 
off,  I  had  only  the  chance  for  two  flying  shots  which  took 
him  in  the  shoulder  and  body.  This  last  proved,  however, 
to  be  a  lucky  shot,  as  it  penetrated  to  his  stomach,  bits  of 
half  digested  grass  and  leaves  being  now  mixed  with  the 
blood  in  the  spoor.  He  seemed  by  this  time  to  be  in  great 
distress,  as  he  was  evidently  going  at  top  speed  and  did 
not  stop  at  any  one  of  several  pools  of  water  he  passed 
close  to.  About  twelve  o'clock  we  returned  for  breakfast 


one] HAMBANTOTA 239 

(being  then  only  five  miles  from  camp,  the  rogue  having 
swung  around  a  big  ark  in  his  flight),  I  being  pretty  well 
fagged  with  carrying  my  young  cannon  all  morning.  Feel- 
ing confident  that  the  elephant  was  down  by  this  time,  I 
despatched  the  head  tracker,  two  villagers,  and  all  of  the 
coolies,  to  bring  in  his  tail  for  the  government,  and  his 
two  front  feet  as  trophies.  Like  nearly  all  Ceylon  ele- 
phants, he  had  no  tusks.  There  are,  in  fact,  so  few  tusk- 
ers in  Ceylon -some  statistics  say  only  two  per  cent -that 
the  government  has  forbidden  them  to  be  killed  under  any 
conditions.  I  then  set  out  with  my  boy  and  two  carters 
to  see  what  I  could  do  on  my  own  account -none  of  these 
chaps  knowing  anything  about  hunting  or  the  jungle. 
Saw  several  hinds,  and  finally  secured  a  nice  spotted  deer 
buck,  going  through  some  beautiful  country.  Picked  up 
a  rabbit  on  the  way  home. 

April  28. 

Went  over  to  the  big  grass  tank  this  morning  with  Peris 
carrying  my  extra  gun,  two  carters  to  carry  back  any 
meat,  and  the  little  village  lad,  and  stayed  there  all  day 
under  the  shade  of  some  big  rocks.  Saw  lots  of  fresh 
tracks,  some  buffalo  and  female  deer,  also  one  nice  buck, 
but  was  unable  to  get  near  him.  On  the  way  home  got  a 
nice  shot  at  a  sambur,  and  landed  him  in  the  lungs,  as  the 
blood  and  froth  showed,  but  as  it  was  dusk,  we  lost  the 
trail  before  we  found  the  body.  Will  take  it  up  again  to- 
morrow. On  my  return  to  camp,  I  found  that  the  tracker, 
et  al.,  had  found  the  elephant  dead,  but  in  the  reserve,  he 
having  Crossed  the  river  just  before  he  died.  As  I  had 
recently  given  them  a  lecture  on  strict  observance  of  game 
sanctuary  rights,  they  had  not  dared  to  remove  the  feet  - 
though  they  brought  me  the  tail,  entitling  me  to  reward  of 
Rs.  100.  Now  while  it  is  quite  true  that  there  is  a  rule 
to  prevent  people  removing  shed  deer  and  sambur  horns 
from  a  preserve,  yet  the  reason  for  this  is  because  they 
are  collected  and  sold  annually  by  the  government.  But 
an  elephant's  feet,  if  not  removed,  cleaned,  dried  and 


240  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

cured,  will  rot  in  a  week  or  ten  days,  and  be  of  no  use  or 
value  to  anyone.  I  therefore  felt  quite  sure  that  were 
any  government  agent  or  forest  ranger  here,  he  would 
allow  me  to  remove  them.  As  I  intend  to  leave  tomorrow, 
I  accordingly  caused  it  to  be  proclaimed  in  the  village  - 
five  or  six  huts -that  I  would  handsomely  reward  any 
man  who  would  remove  and  cure  the  two  front  feet  and 
send  them  on  to  me  at  Colombo.  I'm  afraid  I  shan't  see 
them,  however. 

Apropos  of  the  lost  sambur,  I  quote  the  following  from 
"  Sport  in  the  Low  Country  of  Ceylon  "  by  Alfred  Clark, 
of  the  Forest  Department: 

.  .  .  Small  bore  magazine  rifles  are  all  very  well,  and 
indeed  are  the  right  weapon  for  stalking  deer  in  the  open, 
and  when  long  shots  have  to  be  made,  but  in  the  dense  forests 
there  are  grave  objections  to  their  use.  The  necessity  for 
dropping  a  magazine  rifle  to  the  hip  to  reload,  and  the  second 
or  two  required  for  throwing  out  the  cartridge  case,  and  for 
slipping  a  fresh  cartridge  into  the  breach,  and  for  re-aligning 
the  sights  on  raising  it  to  the  shoulder,  will  often  prove  just 
too  long  to  enable  a  second  shot  to  be  got  at  an  animal  bolting 
or  charging  through  the  thick  cover  of  a  Ceylon  forest,  which 
shot  the  "left"  of  a  double  barreled  rifle  would  almost  cer- 
tainly have  given.  Should  a  man  fire  at  some  savage  wild 
beast  at  close  quarters  with  a  magazine  rifle,  and  miss,  he  will 
have  a  good  deal  slimmer  chance  of  saving  himself  from  its 
attack  than  if  armed  with  a  double-barreled  gun.  A  most 
important  consideration  in  choosing  guns  for  sport  in  Ceylon 
is  their  stopping  and  crippling  power.  Every  sportsman  who 
has  been  in  the  low  country  shooting,  knows  well  from  bitter 
experience  that  if  he  fails  to  find  a  wounded  animal  within  a 
few  hundred  yards  of  the  spot  where  he  fired  at  it,  there  is 
small  chance  of  his  ever  seeing  it  again,  owing  to  the  dense 
cover  and  the  hardness  of  the  ground  on  which  no  tracks  to 
speak  of  are  left. 

April  29. 

Leaving  instructions  for  the  carts  to  start  at  daylight, 
and  proceed  eight  miles  towards  Palatupana,  I  started 


one]  HAMBANTOTA  241 

out  about  five  o  'clock  in  the  morning  with  my  tracker  and 
coolies  to  recover  my  sambur  head  and  try  for  deer.  I 
forgot  to  say  that  yesterday  some  villagers  found  the  boar 
I  had  shot  at  two  days  ago,  dead  in  its  tracks  with  a 
broken  spine.  This  was  an  absolute  fluke,  as  I  was  so 
sure  at  the  time  that  I  had  missed  him,  that  I  hadn't  even 
bothered  to  go  and  see.  It  was  a  lovely  green  tropic 
morning,  the  stars  and  waning  moon  shining  through  the 
fern  and  palm  trees,  and  touching  with  pale  glory  many 
beautiful  jungle  flowers  which  close  later  under  the  in- 
tense heat  of  the  sun.  Gradually  it  grew  lighter,  and  a 
glorious  pink  and  gold  dawn  was  born  and  glowed  in  the 
east.  I  climbed  a  bluff  whence  the  nearby  sea,  in  blue  and 
white  splendor,  was  visible,  and  as  the  sun  rose  in  silent 
majesty,  recalled  the  lines : 

Silently  as  the  daylight 

Comes  when  the  night  is  done. 

And  the  crimson  streak  on  ocean's  cheek 

Grows  into  the  great  sun. 
Also: 

The  ocean  old,  centuries  old, 

Strong  as  youth  and  as  uncontrolled 

Paces  restless  to  and  fro 

Up  and  down  the  sands  of  gold, 

His  beating  heart  is  not  at  rest 

But  to  and  fro,  with  ceaseless  flow 

His  beard  of  snow 

Heaves  with  the  heaving  of  his  breast. 

I  don't  suppose  I've  got  either  of  these  quite  right,  but 
"  them's  my  sentiments  "  anyhow. 

However  the  glories  of  nature  soon  gave  place  to  the 
ardor  of  the  chase,  and  by  six-thirty  we  had  taken  up  the 
trail  again.  It  was  hard,  as  we  had  trampled  things  up 
pretty  well  the  evening  before,  and  a  heavy  dew  or  light 
rain  had  washed  away  most  of  the  blood.  It  was  slow 
tiring  work,  and  we  were  none  of  us  of  much  use  at  it.  The 
men  were  constantly  retracing  their  steps  and  making 


242  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

casts  in  all  directions.  About  eight-thirty,  however,  we 
found  the  beast,  luckily  untouched  by  any  night  maraud- 
er, and  took  off  the  skull  and  horns.  Am  not  keeping  any 
skins  except  those  of  two  of  my  buffalo  heads,  and  the  big 
boar.  It  was  after  ten  when  we  reached  the  Kumane  rest 
house,  where  I  partook  of  a  cold  breakfast  and  drank 
some  cocoanut.  This  wonderful  drink,  like  the  poor,  I 
have  had  always  with  me  of  late.  I  then  indulged  in  a 
short  but  welcome  plunge  in  the  river,  whose  tropic  beau- 
ties I  wish  I  could  properly  describe,  as  it  flows  silently 
and  swiftly  through  the  heart  of  the  jungle,  its  banks 
overhung  with  palms  and  ferns  and  trailing  vines,  and 
bright  with  many  colored  flowers,  and  brilliantly  plu- 
maged  birds.  After  this  relief  we  set  out  after  the 
carts.  Over  that  eight  mile  tramp  I  draw  the  kindly  veil 
of  silence,  only  pausing  to  remark  that  it  was  made  at  the 
hottest  time  of  the  day,  on  a  heavy,  sandy  track  through 
thick  jungle  which  admitted  no  breeze.  My  tongue  was 
like  leather,  and  I  understood  fully  Kipling's  expression 
"  with  a  thirst  that  you  couldn't  buy."  I  may  say  here 
with  great  modesty  that  I  composed  on  this  occasion  a 
few  fitting  lines  on  this  theme,  and  the  outline  of  a  pos- 
sible essay  on  the  same  glorious  subject.  It  was  one 
o'clock  when  we  trailed  into  camp -pitched  in  a  breezy 
open  plain.  I  had  a  long  pull  at  another  cocoanut,  and 
then  lay  back  in  an  easy  chair  and  gave  the  wanton  winds 
a  treat  with  my  clustering,  golden  ringlets.  At  three- 
thirty  we  pushed  on  and  did  an  uneventful  nine  miles  be- 
fore dark. 

WITH  A  THIRST  THAT  YOU  COULDN'T  BUY 
( To  the  tune  of  "  I  'm  a  ghost. "    To  be  sung  with  feeling. ) 
Oh  just  think 
Of  that  drink 

They're  mixing  in  Colombo! 
Mighty  nice, 
Full  of  ice, 


one 


HAMBANTOTA  243 


Hear  it  tinkle  as  the  '  *  boy ' '  bears  in 

Those  glasses  tall  and  fair. 

There's  whiskey  brew, 

And  lime-squash  too, 

Oh  Gawd !  would  I  were  there ! 

May  1. 

Yesterday  noon  found  us  at  Yala.  After  a  dip  in  the 
river,  I  met  the  game  warden,  Boise,  whom  I  had  also  had 
a  chat  with  on  my  way  up.  He  is  one  of  the  Boer  prison- 
ers who  were  kept  here  during  the  war,  and  elected  to 
stay  in  this  beautiful  isle  when  the  rest  were  sent  back, 
so  the  government  gave  him  this  job.  He  informed  me 
that  I  would  have  to  stay  there  till  that  evening,  when  the 
assistant  forest  agent  was  expected,  as  several  charges 
had  been  preferred  against  me.  I  inquired  what  they 
were,  and  found :  that  I  had  shot  an  elephant  and  a  buf- 
falo without  license  (Rs.500  fine) ;  that  my  shikari,  Peris, 
had  carried  a  gun  through  the  reserve  without  permis- 
sion; that  my  tracker  had  no  tracker's  license,  and  had 
been  fishing  in  the  reserve!  As  Boise  had  no  power, 
there  was  no  use  explaining  matters  to  him,  so  I  shaved 
and  made  myself  comfortable  with  my  chair  and  a  shady 
tree,  and  read  some  more  of  Sir  Edward  Creasy,  i.e., 
Blenheim  and  Pultowa,  also  the  Book  of  Daniel.  About 
six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  Bothe,  the  forest  agent,  turned 
up,  and  matters  were  soon  straight -the  elephant  was  of 
course^a  prescribed  rogue,  and  I  had  therefore  done  the 
government  a  service  in  ridding  the  island  of  him.  I  also 
had  his  tail,  for  which  on  subsequent  presentation  to 
Schraeder,  I  claimed  my  Es.  100  reward.  As  to  the  buf- 
falo-I  had  the  mudaliyer's  letter  to  show  that  I  had  sent 
money  and  applied  for  a  license,  and  Bothe  said  this 
would  be  all  right  as  soon  as  I  told  Schraeder  the  circum- 
stances. Schraeder  had  granted  me  permission  to  carry 
guns  through  the  sanctuary,  and  would  undoubtedly  have 
done  so  for  Peris -as  he  was  in  my  employ -had  he 


244  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

known  that  Peris  had  had  one  with  him.  I  didn't  know  it 
myself,  until  after  we  had  started.  The  tracker's  net  was 
confiscated,  and  he  was  fined  Rs.  20  for  fishing  and  having 
no  license.  This  little  incident  leads  me  to  remark  upon 
the  thoroughness  with  which  the  British  protect  game 
wherever  they  go.  The  island  of  Ceylon  is  only  about 
one-third  as  large  as  Java,  but  much  better  sport  can  be 
obtained  there  at  the  present  day.  At  least  one-sixth  of 
the  whole  island  is  preserved  and  game  and  birds  in  the 
rest  of  the  island  have  the  additional  protection  of  rigid 
closed  seasons.  There  is  a  large  and  competent  body  of 
officials  to  see  that  these  laws  are  observed,  and  also  that 
the  country  is  not  de-forested.  They  have  native  watch- 
ers in  their  employ,  who  prove  veiy  useful  in  preventing 
the  natives  from  poaching  for  the  market.  No  one  is  al- 
lowed to  own  a  gun  in  Ceylon  without  a  license,  which  has 
to  be  renewed  every  year.  In  Java,  on  the  other  hand, 
there  is  not  a  single  government  preserve,  the  only  sanc- 
tuary on  the  island  is  the  private  property  of  a  small 
club  of  sportsmen  of  which  Van  Heekeren  is  president. 
So  much  reckless  shooting  has  been  done  by  the  Dutch 
themselves,  and  so  much  inexcusable  poaching  by  the 
natives,  that  there  is  practically  no  game  left  on  the  is- 
land of  Java. 

Bothe  insisted  on  my  staying  to  dinner -he  travels  in 
more  style  than  I,  though  a  very  petty  official,  with  prob- 
ably small  pay  -  and  produced  a  considerable  cellar.  He 
admired  my  big  buffalo  head,  saying  it  was  larger  than 
any  he  had  ever  seen,  and  told  some  very  interesting  ex- 
periences he  had  in  the  pursuance  of  his  duties  -  adven- 
tures with  elephant,  buffalo,  boar,  and  leopard.  He  had 
the  skin  of  a  six  foot  ticpolonga,  which  he  had  killed  that 
morning  with  a  stick -this  is  the  deadliest  snake  in  Cey- 
lon, more  feared  than  the  cobra.  It  kills  in  five  minutes ! 
This  reminds  me  to  say  that  I  have  already  killed  two- 
one  a  nine  foot  water-snake  near  a  swamp,  with  a  rifle, 
and  the  other  a  small  ticpolonga  in  the  roof  of  the  Ku- 


HAMBANTOTA  245 


mane  bungalow,  with  no.  6  shot.  I  left  at  eight  in  the 
evening,  making  my  carts  travel  with  lanterns  till  eleven- 
thirty,  covering  half  the  distance  to  Palatupana,  which 
we  finally  reached  this  morning  about  nine  o'clock. 
Loafed  and  rested  till  three,  when  sallied  forth  and  saw 
first  a  sounder  of  pigs,  and  then  a  small  but  curious  turtle 
which  I  brought  along  as  a  curiosity.  Soon  we  came  up- 
on three  deer  up  wind -two  buck  and  a  hind -perhaps 
one  hundred  and  twenty  yards  away,  feeding  in  a  clear- 
ing. I  resolved  to  try  a  double  shot,  and  accordingly  took 
careful  aim  at  the  first  and  largest,  and  then  fired  quickly 
at  the  second.  I  only  grazed  the  neck  of  the  first,  which 
got  away,  leaving  practically  no  blood  spoor,  but  dropped 
the  second,  luckily  enough.  On  coming  up  I  was  sorry  to 
see  that  his  horns,  though  of  fairish  size,  were  still  in  vel- 
vet. Leaving  two  coolies  to  cut  up  and  carry  him  to 
camp,  I  set  out  again.  In  about  an  hour  a  sambur  broke 
cover,  as  we  were  moving  slowly  through  thick  thorny 
scrub,  and  though  I  could  only  see  its  hind  quarters,  I 
fired,  bringing  it  down.  To  my  grief  it  proved  to  be  a 
hind,  which  I  ruefully  put  out  of  misery  with  a  bullet 
through  the  head.  An  unlucky  day! 

May  2. 

This  morning  I  sent  the  carts  on  again  as  far  as  Weli- 
gate,  hunting  till  nine  o'clock,  and  then  following  along 
the  track.  No  results  except  one  jackal  and  some  sand 
pipers.  In  the  afternoon  I  had  a  swim  in  the  river,  and 
pushed  on  to  within  three  miles  of  Kirende,  bagging  only 
a  brace  of  pigeon  and  a  rabbit.  Beautiful  camp  site  on 
a  bluff  overlooking  the  sea. 

May  3. 

Sent  the  carts  on  ahead  to  a  point  two  miles  beyond 
Kirende  while  I  hunted  the  jungle  for  deer  or  leopard. 
Saw  plenty  of  tracks  and  one  buck,  but  couldn't  fire  be- 
fore he  got  away.  I  stepped  right  over  a  coiled  cobra  in 
the  grass  this  morning,  not  seeing  him  till  safely  past, 


246  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

and  he  slipped  off  in  the  jungle  before  I  was  able  to  kill 
him.  In  the  afternoon  tramped  along  the  dunes  to  Ham- 
bantota,  bagging  three  and  a  half  couple  of  snipe. 

COLOMBO,  May  5. 

Took  coach  at  five-thirty  yesterday  morning,  arriving 
at  Matare  at  three  in  the  afternoon.  Took  four-thirty 
train  which  brought  me  to  Colombo  at  ten  in  the  even- 
ing, where  I  found  your  cable  asking  for  my  future  ad- 
dress, which  had  been  sent  up  from  Cook's  the  day  I 
left.  This  morning  at  Cook's  I  learn  of  your  wires  to 
them  for  information  of  my  whereabouts,  and  was  very 
sorry  for  your  and  mother's  worry  because  of  my  care- 
lessness. I  would  have  cabled  again,  but  thought  my  cable 
saying,  "Have  decided  to  go  hunting,  Ceylon  and  Af- 
rica ' '  or  something  like  that,  was  sufficient.  Mr.  Harte, 
general  secretary  of  the  Y.M.C.A.  here,  who  is  a  splen- 
did fellow  and  has  been  most  kind  to  me,  insisted  on  ray 
giving  his  card  and  address  to  Peris,  so  that  the  latter 
could  communicate  with  him  in  case  of  any  illness  or  ac- 
cident to  me.  He  also  took  your  name  and  address  for 
the  same  purpose.  I  found  here  also  letters  twenty-five, 
twenty-six,  and  twenty-seven  from  mother,  and  among 
others,  one  from  Straight,  our  splendid  young  consul- 
general  at  Mukden,  with  whom  I  have  been  keeping  up  a 
desultory  correspondence,  urging  me  to  come  back  that 
way  and  shoot  tiger.  I  also  found  a  note  from  Mr.  Tay- 
lor, and  one  from  Mr.  Robinson,  enclosing  a  letter  from 
Mr.  Pinches,  a  planter  in  Travancore,  and  a  great  friend 
of  him,  to  whom  he  had  written  about  me.  Pinches  urges 
us  both  to  come  up  there  and  get  some  shooting.  Robin- 
son is  going  home  shortly  and  can't  accept,  but  advises 
me  to  go.  I  think  I  shall  do  so,  as  Travancore  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  and  hard-to-get-into  native  states  in 
India,  and  there  is  also  said  to  be  good  shooting  there  at 
the  proper  time.  I  believe  I  mentioned  before  the  invita- 
tion from  Baron  Van  Heekeren  to  shoot  with  him  in  Java 


one]  COLOMBO  247 

the  first  fortnight  of  July.  He  is  the  president  of  a  club 
which  owns  a  large  reserve,  and  says  he  will  make  me  a 
member  for  one  year.  It  is  very  alluring,  as  this  is  prob- 
ably the  best  place  for  sport  in  Java.  The  American 
consul  here,  a  most  pleasant  New  Haven  man,  knows  a 
chap  whom  he  thinks  will  be  able  to  put  me  on  to  some 
good  shooting  in  Burma,  and  I  still  have  letters  to  some 
big-bugs  in  Assam,  which  the  Hon.  P.  C.  Lyon  gave  me 
in  Calcutta.  With  all  these  schemes,  therefore,  and  the 
future  holding,  I-know-not-what,  of  promise  and  adven- 
ture, in  store  for  me,  my  plans  are  still  unsettled.  I  am 
also  anxious,  if  chance  should  take  me  to  Singapore,  to 
run  from  there  over  to  Bangkok,  and  see  something  of 
Siam,  almost  the  only  eastern  country,  except  Japan, 
which  is  working  out  her  own  salvation ;  and  Japan,  per- 
haps, may  be  said  to  have  already  done  so.  Africa  is 
still  my  goal,  and  I  hope  to  be  there  during  September, 
October,  and  early  November  -deo  volente. 

I  am  going  to  reply  to  Liv's  bully  letter  in  a  day  or  so, 
and  if  my  plans  become  more  settled,  will  let  you  know 
through  him.  I'm  going  to  have  my  trophies  cured  and 
boxed  here,  and  then  shipped  direct  to  Fred  Sauter,  my 
New  York  taxidermist,  to  whom  I  shall  send  instructions. 
I  have  figured  out  that  with  careful  economy  I  can  do  it 
on  my  original  sum  all  right,  even  though  traveling  alone 
and  playing  a  lone  hand  on  these  shoots,  which  is  obvi- 
ously more  expensive  than  when  with  a  pal;  but  it  will 
leave  me  no  margin.  I  noticed  in  Liv's  letter,  and  in  a 
couple  of  mother's,  the  expressed  doubt  as  to  whether  I 
would  be  able  to  be  happy  at  home  and  work  after  all 
these  strange  sights  and  doings  in  many  lands.  Of  course 
one  can  never  speak  certainly  of  the  future,  but  I  feel 
that  I  am  much  more  of  a  homing  bird  than  you  perhaps 
imagine.  I  think  I  shall  be  quite  content  by  our  * '  ain 
fireside,"  with  my  work,  books,  pipe,  and  old  friends.  I 
certainly  wish  to  be  home  in  time  to  lend  Con  the  assist- 
ance of  my  smile,  at  her  glittering  debut  -  though  she  has 


248  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

given  me  blessed  little  encouragement!  Yes,  I'm  looking 
forward  to  evenings  at  chess  or  billiards  with  you,  Liv, 
and  Phid ;  to  putting  in  some  good  hard  honest  work  for 
P.  M.  and  Company.  Then  I  shall  pick  me  out  a  fair 
dame  -  tolerant,  and  easily  satisfied -and  lead  her  back 
to  the  ancestral  hall,  while  the  band  plays  on,  and  the 
butler  ladles  out  punch  in  the  parlor.  However,  whether 
bachelor  or  benedict,  I  shall,  when  I  have  earned  enough 
money  to  buy  me  a  hunter  for  my  leisure  hours,  and  with 
a  yearly  ten  days  or  three  weeks '  vacation  to  be  spent  in 
whinging  duck,  moose,  or  caribou,  have  reached  the  sum- 
mum  bonum  of  my  desires.  I  shall  have  stocked  up  a  rich 
little  library,  and  shall  try  to  grow  old  gracefully  on  the 
recollection  of  my  verdant  youth.  I  think  I  will  make  a 
most  delightful  old  man -full  of  quaint  caprices  and 
whimsies.  This  is  a  strange  ending  to  a  long  letter.  I 
don't  know  how  I  got  into  this  mood -of  late  I've  been 
reading  Stevenson's  The  Wreckers  which  may  perhaps 
account  for  it.  Do  you  remember  Jim  Pinkerton,  and  his 
' '  olde  time  pyckenicke,  oyez !  oyez !  oyez !  "  f 

The  rains  are  on  now,  and  it's  been  pouring  steadily 
here  all  day -most  depressing  weather.  I  got  a  most 
amusing  letter  from  Purdy,  written  from  Aden.  I  hope 
he  stopped  off  in  Cleveland  on  his  way  to  Saginaw,  and 
that  you  enjoyed  his  visit.  He  is  perhaps  inclined  to  be 
a  bit  clam-like  and  silent,  and  one  has  to  work  for  one's 
nuggets,  but  there  is  a  rich  vein  there.  With  very  much 
love  to  all,  AMASA. 

COLOMBO,  May  7. 

DEAR  Liv :  Your  fine  letter  awaited  me  here  on  return 
from  my  shoot  in  the  low  country.  .  . 

Thanks  ever  so  much  for  the  bother  you  are  taking  in 
regard  to  Denham- White  and  young  Cooch  Behar,  but  for 
pity,  his  sweet  sake,  don't  trouble  beyond  sending  them 
Jim  and  Gregg's  addresses.  I  only  mentioned  the  griz- 


one]  COLOMBO 


zlies  in  case  you  happened  to  know  someone  who  could 
put  them  on -don't  ferret  around  at  all. 

In  regard  to  your  tour-du-mond  scheme,  it  is  certainly 
a  wonder,  and  beautifully  comprehensive.  I  can  see  the 
touch  of  the  master  hand  in  every  detail.  I  don't  know 
whether  you  really  mean  to  visit  all  those  places,  or 
simply  mention  some  as  possibilities  or  alternatives,  for 
of  course  you  couldn't  begin  to  do  even  half  of  them  de- 
cently in  the  time  you've  allowed.  You've  outlined  about 
twice  as  much  as  I  have  done  and  in  less  time,  and  there 
is  no  use  in  doing  a  place  so  rapidly  that  it  leaves  only 
an  untrue  and  transitory  impression.  My  Korean  visit, 
for  instance,  was  far  too  short,  yet  that  is  the  place  where, 
owing  to  the  predominance  of  Americans  and  American 
interests,  and  the  paucity  of  visitors,  it  is  very  easy  to 
get  in  touch  with  people  and  find  out  the  vital  things.  I 
don't  suppose,  either,  you  have  any  idea -for  I  had  none 
certainly  before  I  started -how  long  it  takes  these  small 
boats  to  traverse  the  vast  eastern  seas,  and  how  hard  it 
is  to  make  any  sort  of  connections.  Against  our  will  we 
had  to  spend  six  days  in  Singapore,  and  another  party 
there  at  the  same  time  had  to  spend  ten.  Most  of  the 
boats  in  season  are  way  over-crowded;  the  largest  I've 
been  on  'Since  leaving  Yokohama  is  six  thousand  tons,  and 
I've  been  on  some  as  small  as  eight  hundred.  It  takes, 
for  instance,  fourteen  days  from  Singapore  to  Australia, 
eight  days  from  Aden  to  Colombo,  five  and  a  half  from 
Singapore  to  Rangoon,  six  from  Colombo  to  Singapore, 
seven  from  Singapore  to  Hong  Kong,  three  and  a  half 
on  up  to  Shang-hai,  and  four  more  to  Tientsin,  or  any 
other  port  in  the  Gulf  of  Pechili.  Of  course  I  wish  that 
you  would  come  over  and  take  my  African  trip  with  me 
this  fall,  but  don't  suppose  you  can.  On  the  other  hand, 
though  I  should  love  to,  for  we've  had  some  splendid 
little  trips  together  in  the  past,  I  couldn't  possibly  get 
away  to  join  you  after  having  been  at  work  scarcely  a 
year. 


250  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

All  Cleveland  seems  to  be  on  the  rampage.  At  the 
present  marriage  rate,  I  have  figured  out  with  the  ac- 
curacy of  the  practised  mathematician,  and  with  the  aid 
of  Bebee's-four-place-  tables  -which  interesting  little  mas- 
terpiece I  borrowed  from  the  lieutenant  governor  here, 
an  honest  fellow -that  all  the  maids  'twixt  the  ages  of 
fifteen  and  forty-seven,  will  have  gone  by  the  board  ere 
I  return.  This  is  a  state  of  affairs  too  horrible  to  con- 
template. Something  must  be  done  to  stop  it  in  the  inter- 
ests of  mankind.  A  league  of  sturdy  bachelors  should 
be  formed,  and  the  banner  of  Independence  raised  once 
more  to  glory;  not  that  I  would  be  particularly  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  movement,  but  it  would  improve  my 
chances,  and  since  my  hair  is  neither  golden  nor  curling, 
I  need  every  advantage.  I  will  not  start  at  scratch !  At 
any  rate  you  might  try  and  corral  one  fair  specimen  and 
keep  her  in  cold  storage  till  my  return.  What  fearful 
havoc  the  fair  sex  have  been  making  in  our  devoted  ranks. 
When  I  read  the  returns,  I  blushed  for  my  natal  city. 
We  must  meet  guile  with  guile,  and  capture  as  many  of 
these  bold  Amazons  as  we  may.  For  service  in  this  for- 
lorn hope  I  offer  myself  as  volunteer ! 

May  8. 

I  have  to  have  special  permits  to  take  my  guns  into 
Travancore.  I  have  written  for  these  to  the  British  Resi- 
dent at  Trivandram,  the  capital,  but  it  will  be  some  few 
days  before  I  can  possibly  get  them.  So  I  am  leaving  to- 
day with  a  young  chap  I  met  here,  to  go  up  and  visit  a  pearl 
island  where  he  is  working,  off  the  northern  coast  of  Cey- 
lon. We  have  to  sail  over  in  a  small  native  craft,  and  I 
suppose  it  will  be  a  barren  little  reef,  with  nothing  but 
sand,  pearls,  and  palms,  but  I  don't  suppose  I'll  stay 
there  more  than  a  few  days  at  most,  and  it  will  be  more 
interesting  and  profitable  than  kicking  my  heels  about 
this  hotel  till  I  can  go  to  Travancore.  I  only  met  this  chap 
this  morning,  and  got  the  invitation  about  an  hour  ago, 


one]  COLOMBO  251 

and  as  we  leave  in  half  an  hour,  I've  no  time  for  more 
now,  as  must  throw  some  things  into  a  bag. 

I'm  enclosing  some  pictures  I  took  on  my  last  trip, 
which  I  wish  you'd  pass  on  to  the  others,  and  have  some 
one  keep  for  me.  My  regards  to  Grace,  as  ever.  AM. 

COLOMBO,  May  14,  1908. 

DEAK  PHID:  I  have  recently  received  your  letter  of 
March  fifteenth.  It  is,  as  you  say,  most  annoying  to  keep 
up  a  correspondence  at  such  long  range,  when  one 's  ques- 
tions have  all  been  forgotten,  answers  are  meaningless, 
and  news  stale,  but  I  hope  all  the  same  you  will  not  neg- 
lect me,  mon  frere  Ion  taine,  for  I  enjoy  your  letters  more 
than  any  others. 

After  my  last  letter  to  Liv,  I  cruised  up  the  coast  to  see 
a  pearl  island  with  a  young  chap  named  Keyes  who  is 
working  on  it.  A  wise  young  business  man  named  Sol- 
omon (evidently  a  Jebusite,  but  of  excellent  business 
standing,  since  he  has  some  very  good  New  York  names 
and  plenty  of  capital  back  of  him)  is  president  of  the 
company,  and  is  at  present  out  here  inspecting  and  open- 
ing new  tranches.  He  leaves  for  Australia  day  after 
tomorrow.  There  are  two  young  electrical  engineers  in 
charge  of  his  island  near  here,  who  make  radio-graphs  of 
the  oysters,  and  have  put  up  quite  a  plant  on  their  is- 
land-very handy  fellows.  However,  I  shan't  describe 
their  methods,  or  the  process  of  making  pearls,  as  it 
would  bore  you.  If  you  are  still  anxious  to  know  about 
it  when  I  get  back,  you  can  pump  me  or  use  father's  of- 
ficial corkscrew.  Eyerson,  the  other  young  engineer,  is 
a  distant  relation  of  Don  Ryerson,  a  classmate  and  good 
pal  of  mine. 

Keyes  and  I  went  up  part  way  by  the  Negombo  Canal, 
a  golden  palm-fringed  water-way  by  which  much  copra, 
rice,  and  bananas,  rubber,  tea,  and  spices  are  brought 
down  to  Colombo  from  the  interior.  This  took  us  almost 


252  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

due  north  parallel  to  the  coast,  and  ended  in  a  bay  on  the 
northwest  shore.  From  here  sixty  miles  by  coach  through 
beautiful  copra  and  rubber  plantations,  to  Putalam,  at 
whose  little  rest-house  the  Cingalese  in  charge  gave  us 
one  of  the  best  cooked  sea-dinners  it  has  ever  been  my 
good  fortune  to  dream  over  the  night  after -oysters, 
mussels,  crabs,  shrimps,  and  a  broiled  fish  something  like 
sole.  From  here  by  native  donie  (catamaran)  to  Kalpit- 
iya,  through  a  fringe  of  islands.  This  picturesque  little 
cluster  of  huts,  which  surrounds  the  ruins  of  an  old  Dutch 
fort,  dating  from  the  days  when  Holland  held  the  island, 
is  on  a  spit  of  land  jutting  into  the  Indian  Ocean.  Here 
the  company's  sampan  met  us,  captained  by  an  old  ex- 
pirate,  and  we  cruised  on  up  to  their  island.  Keyes  and 
Eyerson  are  capital  fellows,  and  have  rigged  up  very 
comfortable  quarters.  We  had  some  good  singing,  and 
I  enjoyed  myself  immensely,  learning  a  lot  about  the 
pearl  business,  ancient  and  modern,  and  seeing  much  of 
the  simple  native  fishermen's  lives.  The  place  is  very 
much  like  my  idea  of  the  South  Sea  Isles,  where  the  long 
back  breakers  softly  croon  their  endless  ocean  legend  to 
the  lazy,  locked  lagoon.  Keyes  and  Eyerson  recently 
had  a  very  narrow  escape.  While  sailing  across  from 
the  mainland,  their  canoe  capsized,  and  they  drifted, 
holding  on  to  it,  about  three  miles  before  they  reached 
another  island.  These  waters  are  alive  with  sharks,  and 
why  they  didn't  lose  a  leg  or  two,  at  least,  no  one  pre- 
tends to  know.  I  found,  I  regret  to  say,  no  treasure-trove 
buried  in  the  coral  strand,  but  took  part  in  a  small  mutiny 
when  coming  back  to  Colombo.  Eyerson  (who  went  part 
way  with  me)  and  I,  both  having  revolvers,  quelled  it, 
but  the  old  chief,  although  agreeing  to  go  if  we  forced 
him,  said  the  wind  was  too  strong  for  his  boat  (though 
I'm  sure  I  could  have  handled  the  craft)  and  wanted  to 
put  back.  I  thought  best  not  to  make  any  trouble  for 
them  in  the  future,  and  so  had  him  drop  me  in  waist  high 
water  near  a  point,  waded  ashore,  engaged  a  bullock  cart 


THE  PEARL  ISLAND 


FISHERMEN'S  LUCK 


COLOMBO  255 


at  a  tiny  village,  and  proceeded  eighteen  miles  to  Putalam 
by  starlight.  On  the  coach  next  day  I  fell  into  conversa- 
tion with  a  planter,  who  told  me  all  about  the  cocoanut 
and  copra  industry.  While  on  the  island  I  bagged  some 
pigeon  for  the  pot  with  an  old  piece  of  scrap  iron,  by 
courtesy  called  a  shotgun,  and  for  big  game,  shot  a  couple 
of  rats  in  my  bedroom,  which  rather  startled  the  others. 
This  is  rather  dangerous  sport,  however,  and  I  don't  ad- 
vise any  man  to  follow  a  wounded  rat  into  long  grass, 
unless  armed  with  a  krupp  gun.  It  is  very  interesting 
to  watch  the  fishermen  at  work  with  their  big  nets,  which 
they  haul  in  with  gangs  by  hand.  Sometimes  we  would 
see  a  couple  of  sharks  and  some  huge  turtles,  together 
with  hundreds  of  other  fish  in  the  meshes.  The  trip  has 
been  most  satisfactory.  I  only  got  back  this  morning, 
and  expect  to  start  for  Travancore  tomorrow  or  next  day, 
when  my  gun  licenses  arrive,  to  visit  a  chap  named 
Pinches,  who  has  invited  me  on  the  instance  of  J.  J.  Rob- 
inson -  a  trump  if  there  ever  was  one.  I  take  a  small  local 
steamer  to  Tuticorin,  then  a  day  by  rail,  and  about  two 
days  and  two  nights  by  bullock  cart,  feet,  and  pony  (if 
Pinches  meets  me)  up  to  the  high  tableland  where  the 
tea-plantations  are.  I  tiffined  today,  with  Mr.  Harte  of 
the  Y.M.C.A.,  and  a  Princeton  man  named  Sinclaire,  and 
dined  with  our  consul,  Mr.  Creavy,  Mr.  Solomon,  and  Dr. 
Smith,  of  the  U.S.  Philippine  Fish  Commission,  with 
whom  I  had  a  most  interesting  conversation  about  the 
Archipelago.  I  enclose  a  note  from  a  chap  called  Tamer- 
lane, whom  the  people  here  seem  to  think  a  good  deal  of. 
George  Borrow,  in  his  Romany  Rye  says  that  he  considers 
Tamerlane  greater  than  either  Napoleon  or  Alexander. 
From  the  tone  of  his  letter,  he  seems  to  have  heard  of 
your  fame.  As  ever,  AM. 


256  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

SAMAEKAND. 

To  GENEEAL  Sra  PHILIP  MATHEB,  Commander  in  Chief  of 
the  Army  of  Buritania, 

HONOBED  SIE  :  It  happens  that  occasionally  in  a  great 
forest,  some  noble  tree  riseth  up  mightier  than  the  rest. 
His  swelling  branches  rise  high  above  those  of  his  neigh- 
bors, and  his  sinews  are  deep-rooted  in  the  earth.  He 
saith  unto  himself :  * '  Ha  ha,  I  am  mightier  than  all  my 
fellows.  I  am  invincible."  Then  cometh  a  storm;  and  in 
the  fore-front  of  the  storm  cometh  a  whirlwind,  and  with 
the  whirlwind,  cometh  the  lightning  blast  which  striketh 
that  mighty  tree  and  layeth  him  low  with  riven  trunk, 
even  in  the  place  of  his  late  glory.  Thus  shall  burst  the 
Scythian  power  athwart  the  mighty  land  of  Buritania, 
and  in  the  van,  guiding  the  terror  of  that  storm  of  war, 
shall  I  come  -  Tamerlane  the  Destroyer. 

Take  warning  therefore;  bow  thy  proud  head,  or  I 
shall  lay  it  low  in  the  dust!  (Signed)  TAMEELANE. 

UNDEB  THE  DEODAES,  Letchmi,  Munnar  P.O.,  Travancore, 

South  India,  May  24,  1908. 
DEAB  MOTHEE: 

Village  and  farm 

Close  to  the  sky, 

That  is  the  land  I  love ! 

I've  been  both  surprised  and  delighted  with  my 
glimpse  of  Travancore  so  far,  for  I  had  no  idea  that  a 
country  so  high  and  so  beautiful  existed  in  southern  In- 
dia. It  is  little  known,  and  hard  enough  to  get  to,  for  it 
took  me  three  days  and  nights  of  travel  by  steamer,  train, 
bullock  cart,  horse,  foot,  and  tea-transit,  to  reach  here. 
Mr.  Pinches  met  me  with  an  extra  horse  at  Munnar;  ev- 
eryone here,  in  fact,  is  most  hospitable,  two  other  chaps 
lending  me  their  horses  to  make  the  steep  four  thousand 
foot  climb  up  the  ghats  to  this  table-land.  The  days  are 
delightful  and  the  mountains  stand  out  like  cameos, 
sharply  cut  in  the  clear  blue  air.  Sometimes  I  get  up  by 


LOW  SWAMI'Y  Jl'XGLK  OF  TRAVANCORE 
Here  leopard  wis  bay-god 


TRAVANCORE  259 


moonlight,  and  tramp  over  the  ridges -rough  country  - 
with  a  rifle,  till  ten  o  'clock  in  the  morning  or  so ;  then  I 
drop  down  to  the  plantation  of  some  nearby  friend  of 
Pinches  for  breakfast  and  tennis ;  ride  around  with  him, 
perhaps  stay  there  all  night,  or  else  go  back  to  my  pleas- 
ant host's.  My  own  rifles  were  held  up  on  the  frontier, 
as  my  permits,  though  applied  for,  had  not  reached  Cey- 
lon when  I  decided  it  was  useless  to  wait  longer,  so  I  am 
using  a  great  smashing  ironmonger's  weapon,  a  double- 
barreled  black  powder  eight  bore,  which  Pinches  bor- 
rowed for  me.  It  will  break  up  anything  it  hits,  but  the 
hammers  are  generally  out  of  order,  or  the  breach  gets 
jammed,  the  rifling  is  almost  worn  down,  and  the  stock 
has  been  broken  and  mended  with  a  piece  of  wire.  How- 
ever, there  isn't  much  game  about.  I  had  an  awkward 
shot  yesterday  at  an  ibex  - 1  was  clinging  to  a  bit  of  rock 
about  three  hundred  yards  almost  straight  above  him, 
and  made  a  bad  miss ;  also  nearly  dislocated  my  shoulder. 
However,  the  life  is  grand,  and  I'm  enjoying  every  mo- 
ment of  it.  This  evening  Stewart  who  had  some  thrilling 
experiences  with  the  Gordon  Highlanders  in  the  Boer 
War,  and  told  me  all  about  the  interesting  battle  of  Mae- 
gersf ontein -  and  I,  start  out  on  a  week's  shoot.  This 
is  not  the  best  season,  as  the  grass  is  long  and  the  rains 
are  on,  but  we  may  get  a  bison,  an  ibex,  or  sambur,  with 
a  chance  at  a  tiger  or  leopard. 

When  not  leading  the  strenuous  life,  I  poke  about  and 
glean  information  in  Pinches 's  tea  factory,  stroll  through 
the  steep  hillside  fields,  watching  the  pluckers,  and  tramp 
or  ride  about  the  hills.  I  also  enjoy  his  library,  and  we 
have  pleasant  chats  before  wood  fires  in  the  evening.  The 
mountains  run  between  six  and  nine  thousand  feet,  the 
air  is  cool  and  bracing,  and  the  life,  with  plenty  of  sleep, 
exercise  and  fresh  air,  most  healthy.  The  scenery  is  mag- 
nificent, especially  the  wide  views  one  gets  over  mountain 
and  valley  from  the  top  of  some  high  rocky  ridge.  It  re- 
minds me  constantly  of  the  Blue  Ridge  country  of  Vir- 


260  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

ginia,  except  that  the  jungle  is  thicker,  and  the  country 
wilder;  also,  of  course,  being  on  a  plateau,  we  are  in 
reality  much  higher.  I  had  a  bit  of  an  accident  the  first 
day  while  riding  through  some  recently  cleared  fields; 
my  horse  shied,  and  scraped  my  leg  against  the  rough 
end  of  a  log,  tearing  the  flesh  off  down  the  whole  length 
of  the  shin-bone,  but  it  is  practically  healed  now. 

About  the  only  thing  I  had  read  concerning  Travan- 
core  was  in  Pierre  Loti's  India,  and  that,  while  beautiful 
and  apparently  true  enough  of  what  I  saw  of  the  low- 
lands, doesn't  even  mention  the  existence  of  these  high- 
lands, in  this  particular  part  of  which  some  twenty  tea 
estates  are  tucked  away.  Pinches 's  bungalow  lies  in  a 
beautiful  valley  about  six  thousand  feet  above  sea  level. 
More  later. 

COLOMBO,  June  5. 

Had  an  unsuccessful  shoot,  bagging  only  a  leopard -at 
close  quarters,  with  a  shot-gun! -a  couple  of  beautiful 
scarlet-coated  Malabar  squirrels  about  the  size  of  rac- 
coons, and  some  birds.  We  each  missed  an  ibex,  but  saw 
no  other  game.  The  grass  was  too  long  for  bison,  for 
which  noble  animal  we  were  particularly  anxious.  Have 
seldom  worked  so  hard  in  my  life  -  up  at  three,  forty-five, 
away  by  four,  forty-five,  back  to  camp  by  six  in  the  even- 
ing, never  stopping  over  forty-five  miuntes  for  tiffin,  at 
midday.  A  very  lumpy  country  -  no  level  spots  -  we  had 
to  use  our  hands  as  much  as  our  feet  in  climbing.  Some 
knife-like  edges,  dizzy  peaks,  and  sharp  sheer  cliffs -a 
few  close  calls.  Splendid  weather  and  beautiful  scenery. 
A  great  pleasure  to  be  able  to  drink  unboiled  water 
again -plenty  of  cool  mountain  rills.  I  used  to  find  my 
krupp  gun  pretty  heavy  by  the  end  of  the  day.  Wore  out 
two  pair  of  shoes  on  the  rocks!  Interesting  yarns  at 
night  with  Stewart.  We  had  along  with  us  some  Mudivars 
(wild  men  of  the  hills  and  jungles,  like  the  Veddahs  of 
Ceylon -with  great  bushy  crops  of  hair),  who  built  us 
grass  huts  at  night,  and  acted  as  trackers -and  mighty 


HUNTING  IN  THE  LOW  COUNTRY  OF  TRAVANCORE 


AFTER  IBEX  IN  THE  HIGHLANDS  OF  TRAVANCORE 

"  I  stood  upon  the  hills,  when  heaven's  wide  arch 
Was  glorious  with  the  sun's  returning  inarch'' 


DAMPFER  GOBEN 263 

poor  ones  at  that.  Innumerable  leeches  in  the  low  coun- 
try. I  pulled  twenty-seven  off  my  feet  and  ankles  one 
night  after  we  got  back  to  camp,  which  is  irrespective  of 
what  I  took  off  during  the  day.  I  suppose,  by  bleeding 
you,  they  help  to  keep  off  the  fever -very  considerate  of 
them,  I'm  sure!  Went  through  a  beautiful  labyrinth  of 
waterways  by  native  canoe  in  the  low  country.  Found 
my  permits  awaiting  me  here  in  Colombo  when  I  got  back. 
I  had  twice  wired  the  assistant  resident  at  Trivandram 
(capital  of  Travancore)  prepaying  the  replies,  in  addi- 
tion to  two  letters  -  nice  manners  he  has ! 

Found  Keyes  and  Byerson  here  when  I  arrived,  and 
dine  with  them  tonight.  I  had  dinner  with  Mr.  Creavy 
and  a  small  party  last  night.  Leave  for  Singapore  early 
tomorrow  morning  on  the  German  Mail.  A  young  chap 
from  New  Zealand  named  McLaughlin,  whom  Harte  in- 
troduced me  to  at  the  Y.M.C.A.  this  morning,  is  also 
going.  Eeceived  with  great  pleasure  here  your  letters 
thirty  and  thirty-one,  also  clippings  of  the  Yale  play. 
Many  thanks.  Please  send  baseball  scores  Yale-Prince- 
ton; YalesHarvard. 

Please  excuse  the  scratchy  nature  of  this  epistle,  but 
am  very  rushed  on  account  of  repacking,  etc.  Will  write 
more  fully  later.  Have  much  to  tell  you  of  the  beauties 
of  Travancore.  Lovingly,  AMASA. 

DAMPFER  GOBEN,  Between  Colombo  and  Singapore,  June 

9,  1908. 

DEAR  FATHER:  This  dampfer  of  about  nine  thousand 
tons  is  the  most  comfortable  derelict  I've  trod  since  the 
golden  days  of  the  ever-memorable  Shinana  Maru.  The 
food  is  tip-top,  and  the  passengers  are  so  few  and  far 
between  that  although  I  didn't  get  my  ticket  till  the  day 
before  she  weighed  anchor,  yet  I  secured  an  airy  deck 
cabin  to  myself.  So  far  I've  picked  up  only  with  an 
Englishman  who  sits  next  to  me  in  the  saloon,  and  a 
quaint  little  bearded  Scotchman  from  Australia,  who  has 


264  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

a  native  fund  of  humor,  and  has  visited  many  out-of-the- 
way  nooks  from  San  Fernando  to  Malabar,  and  from 
Bangkok  and  Batavia  to  New  Zealand,  of  which  latter 
place  he  is  rapturously  enthusiastic.  Bangkok,  he  asserts, 
will  be  almost  intolerable  at  this  time  of  the  year,  and  the 
hotel  is  atrocious,  but  the  interest  of  the  place  he  assures 
me  will  well  repay  its  discomforts.  The  southwest  mon- 
soon burst  the  day  we  left  Colombo  (or  rather  the  night 
before)  and  it  is  blowing  strong,  but  as  it  is  almost  astern, 
what  care  we!  The  air,  however,  is  muggy  and  depress- 
ing, and  I'll  have  head  winds  and  bad  weather  coming 
back  in  late  July,  I  foresee. 

Another  interesting  table  vis-a-vis  is  a  clear-eyed,  sup- 
ple, healthy-looking  German  Fraulein,  who  smokes  strong 
cigars  and  has  a  mind  of  her  own.  She  has  big  serious 
eyes,  a  beautiful  complexion,  and  carriage,  and  is  very 
quiet  and  considerate  to  her  parents.  She's  up  betimes 
i'  the  morn,  too -none  of  your  pale,  lie-abed,  nonsensical 
chatterboxes ! 

The  witching  hours  from  six  to  eight  in  the  morning, 
however,  are  sacred  to  pajamas  -  as  on  most  tropic-faring 
vessels -and  I  accordingly  disport  myself  in  pink  silks 
about  the  deck,  and  in  the  airy  gymnasium  until  time  for 
a  cold  sea-bath  and  breakfast.  This  gymnasium,  by  the 
way,  is  a  most  fearful  and  wonderful  place -there  are 
all  sorts  of  queer  electrical  machines  which  pummel  you 
in  the  pit  of  the  stomach,  and  pound  you  in  the  small  of 
the  back  and  other  uncomfortable  places.  There  is  one 
which  seizes  and  throws  you  about  like  the  Terrible  Turk, 
and  still  another  with  a  saddle,  upon  which  you  may  be 
jolted  up  and  down  for  a  couple  of  miles,  and  pretend 
you're  having  a  nice  morning  canter.  It's  a  topping  good 
ceremonial,  however,  and  puts  one  in  a  cheerful  frame  of 
mind  and  good  appetite,  so  that  I  have  much  ado  to  keep 
from  bursting  into  soulful  rhapsodies  or  rollicking  glees, 
and  performing  all  sorts  of  queer  capers  on  the  deck 
before  staid  old  lady  Somebody-or-other,  who  is  out  to 


one]  DAMPFER  GOBEN  265 

join  her  husband  in  Shang-hai,  and  inclines  to  be  chatty 
with  a  military-looking  captain  when  she  isn't  seasick. 
However,  exuberance  of  spirits  is  no  crime,  I  trow,  for 
I've  heard  that  even  King  Cole  himself  was  a  merry  old 
soul! 

I've  finished  The  Old  Curiosity  Shop,  Diana  of  the 
Crossways,  The  Conspiracy  of  Pontiac,  and  am  now  be- 
ing thrilled  by  Balentyne's  Ungava.  There  is  a  delightful 
old  prelate  on  board,  in  beautiful  robes,  a  gold  cross,  and 
red  stockings.  He  sits  in  the  mellow  sunshine  and  chuck- 
les, while  one  of  his  Neophytes  reads  to  him  from  a 
Portuguese  bible,  and  his  silver  shoe-buckles  glitter.  He 
has  what  might  be  called  a  full  figure,  in  fact,  crowded, 
but  he  is  the  bishop  of  Macao,  and  speaks  several  lan- 
guages. I  should  like  a  snapshot  of  him,  drowsing  in  the 
wine  cellar,  or  pacing  meditatively  up  and  down  the  dim 
ivy-covered  cloister  of  his  distant  monastery.  They  had 
a  dance  last  night,  with  the  usual  accompaniments  of 
flags,  colored  lights  and  champagne  punch.  My  little 
Scotch  friend  suggested  that  he  lead  out  the  old  arch- 
bishop in^i  Highland  Fling,  but  I  held  myself  sternly 
aloof.  You  would  hardly  know  me,  I'm  getting  such  an 
old  man.  I  was  adamant  as  Purdy's  self,  spite  of  a 
beauteous  young  American  bride  who  gazed  beseechingly 
at  me  seven  times.  I  wrapped  myself  up  in  my  book  at 
nine-thirty,  and  retired  by  twelve,  strangely  enough  over- 
sleeping this  morning,  so  that  I  missed  my  morning  Jiu 
Jitsu  with  the  machine  guns  up  aloft  in  the  gym. 

Mark  Twain's  remark  that  tropical  boats  have  nothing 
on  board  to  drink  but  butter,  does  not  hold  here,  for  we 
have  our  own  ice  machine  -  cold  drinks,  ice  cream,  fresh 
eggs,  and  fresh  fruit.  The  North  German  Lloyd  Mail 
Boats  have  the  reputation  of  doing  you  better  than  any 
hotels  east  of  Cairo  and  west  of  Yokohama.  We're  off 
the  coast  of  Sumatra  today,  though  as  far  as  that's  con- 
cerned, I  suppose  we're  off  the  coast  of  Timbuctoo  as 
well -we 're  certainly  not  on  it.  They  have  a  delicious 


266 EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS [Vol. 

cream  cheese,  of  which  I  manage  to  pack  away  a  little 
every  night,  with  some  thin  captain  biscuits  (the  biscuits, 
I  mean,  not  the  captain  who  is  noticeably  plump,  like  the 
rest  of  his  jolly  red  faced  crew  -  especially  Wilhelm.  the 
head  steward -I  quite  like  Wilhelm). 

June  10. 

"We  floated  dreamily  into  Penang  Harbor  about  nine- 
thirty  last  evening,  and  as  I  leaned  over  the  rail  and 
watched  the  conjure-lady  Moon  throw  her  witching  man- 
tle of  silver  light  across  the  rippling  waters,  I  felt  dark- 
browed  Mother  Night  take  my  little  careless  hand  in  hers, 
and,  unfolding  her  sable  wings,  fly  swiftly  away  with  me 
on  fancy's  breeze.  O'er  many  lands  and  seas  we  sped, 
and  finally  bent  on  hovering  wing  over  Shoreby.  I  looked 
down  and  beheld  a  tender  and  dramatic  scene.  Mother 
was  sitting  on  a  stool  before  the  fire,  reading  the  Outlook. 
You  were  hugging  yourself  on  the  sofa,  over  a  volume 
of  Trollope,  The  Warden,  I  think,  and  chuckling  so  vio- 
lently every  now  and  then  that  mother  would  make  you 
read  passages  aloud.  Phid  was  marching  and  counter- 
marching several  thousand  war-scarred  veterans  up  and 
down  the  library  floor,  and  giving  sharp  commands  in  a 
stern  gruff  voice.  I  could  see  that  even  the  officers  were 
very  much  in  awe  of  him.  Con  was  banging  the  piano, 
and  trolling  out  lusty  college  roundelays  in  a  mellow  bar- 
itone, while  Grace  was  tearfully  tearing  up  old  plans  for 
their  new  house  as  fast  as  Liv,  with  feverish  haste,  could 
dash  off  new  masterpieces.  I  noticed  one  in  particular 
which  Liv  seemed  very  proud  of,  and  would  not  let  her 
destroy.  Its  chief  features  were  a  combination  gym- 
nasium, swimming  tank  and  squash  court,  which  was  to 
hang  out  of  his  bedroom  window.  There  was  a  smoking 
or  lounging  room,  which,  by  means  of  hinged  panels, 
could  be  quite  easily  turned  into  a  reception  or  afternoon- 
tea  room.  The  dressing  room  was  a  bewildering  variety 
of  closets,  shelves,  drawers,  and  secret  cupboards,  and 
had  seven  different  kinds  of  spray  and  shower  baths 


one]  STEAMSHIP  DELI  267 

connected  with  it.  The  butler's  pantry  was  likewise  fit- 
ted up  as  a  dark  room -the  dining-room  table  was  also 
used  for  billiards ;  cooking  was  not  inconvenienced  by  the 
bowling  alley  which  ran  through  the  kitchen,  and  which 
also  served  as  a  rifle  range  when  the  cook  had  her  night 
out.  The  lawn  and  flower  beds  could  be  strapped  up 
against  the  windowless  north-exposure  during  bad 
weather,  and  the  stable  had  a  theater  in  the  harness 
room.  The  lamps  and  firelight  grew  dim,  however,  and 
even  as  a  rattle  of  musketry  from  the  round-room  an- 
nounced the  beginning  of  an  engagement,  and  a  snicker 
from  you  woke  the  echoes  simultaneously  with  a  chortle 
of  triumphant  genius  from  Liv,  the  scene  faded,  and  I 
found  myself  back  once  more  with  the  harbor  lights  and 
the  palm  trees,  where  the  magic  East  holds  sway.  Knock- 
ing the  ashes  from  my  pipe,  I  mournfully  attacked  a  ham 
sandwich  in  the  smoking  room,  and  after  draining  a  wist- 
ful glass  of  Pilsener,  shook  my  head  slowly  three  times, 
as  much  as  to  say :  *  *  That  beer  may  be  very  good  beer  - 
in  fact,  voj-y  good  beer  indeed -but  it  doesn't  come  from 
Yankeeland."  Your  loving  son,  AMASA. 

STEAMSHIP  DELI,  June  13. 

DEAR  GRACE  :  Thank  you  for  your  letter,  which  I  ap- 
preciated very  much  indeed.  .  . 

I  made  at  Singapore  the  only  flying  occidental  sort  of 
a  connection  which  I  have  ever  made  out  here  in  the 
Orient -and  that  only  because  both  vessels  were  of  the 
same  line,  the  Norddeutscher  Lloyd,  which  bids  fair  to 
be  the  premier  steamship  company  of  the  far  east.  I 
landed  at  the  dock,  three  miles  from  the  business  portion 
of  the  town,  at  three-thirty  in  the  afternoon,  after  all 
banks  had  closed.  I  found  that  the  N.D.L.  had  a  small 
boat  of  six  hundred  tons  leaving  for  Bangkok  at  five,  and 
that  there  would  not  be  another  for  a  week -but  I  had 
no  money.  I  managed,  however,  to  get  into  town,  per- 
suade the  company  to  give  me  a  return  passage  on  spec, 


268  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

to  send  off  a  few  letters  and  postals  I  had  written  on  the 
S.S.  Goben,  and  to  have  my  rifles  and  ammunition  stored 
at  an  hotel  until  my  coming  again,  and  subsequent  de- 
parture for  Batavia.  I  was  unable  even  to  call  for  mail 
or  cables,  the  banks  being,  as  I  said,  already  closed.  What 
I  did  accomplish,  however,  was  in  the  nature  of  a  Roman 
triumph,  for  officials,  porters,  and  rickshaw  coolies  in 
these  reeking  climes,  are  not  of  the  stuff  that  heroes  are 
made  of.  I  sank  exhausted  on  the  steamboat's  deck  just 
before  she  weighed  anchor,  feeling  purged  of  all  earthly 
dross,  and  distinctly  entitled  to  a  long  and  cooling  drink. 
My  fellow  travelers  form  a  most  companionable  com- 
munity on  this  snug  little  packet,  and  I  have  enjoyed  my- 
self immensely.  There  is  a  tall  handsome  young  Teuton, 
fresh  from  Hamburg,  out  here  for  three  years'  trade  in 
Bangkok;  a  fat  jolly  Frankfurter  from  Penang;  a  Ber- 
liner of  a  most  cosmopolitan  air  and  jovial  nature;  an 
Anglo-German  from  Calcutta,  of  a  dashing  presence 
and  athletic  proclivities,  with  whom  I  box,  wrestle,  and 
play  at  quoits;  a  pink  and  white  young  Manchester 
Briton,  who  has  knocked  about  the  Malay  Peninsula  and 
Archipelago  for  a  year  or  two  as  a  consulting  engineer ; 
and  a  young  Siamese  official  consisting  of  medals  and 
epaulets,  who  has  picked  me  out  as  a  special  mark  for 
his  attention,  cigars,  and  civilities,  and  who  offers  to 
show  me  about  in  his  carriage  and  give  me  postage 
stamps ;  which  is  all  the  result  of  my  treating  him  in  the 
first  instance  as  a  human  being,  and  not  as  a  "  native ! ' ' 
I  must  not  forget  the  rakish,  red-faced,  and  startlingly 
mustachioed  captain,  who  threatens  us  with  typhoons 
every  hour  or  so,  consumes  vast  quantities  of  beer,  and 
rejoices  in  a  huge  black  hound  which  growls  most  fe- 
rociously at  all  the  Chinese  sailors.  We  have  already 
evolved  several  family  jokes  of  the  usual  kind,  such  as 
saying  *  *  Good  morning ' '  after  our  mid-day  naps,  and 
piling  all  sorts  of  absurd  articles  on  any  luckless  wight 
who  chances  to  doze  off  in  his  long  Indian  chair  over  his 


SIAMESE  DAGOBA  ox  THE  MEXAM  RIVER 


STEAMSHIP  DELI  271 

novel.  The  Siamese  is  an  interesting  personality,  who 
half-believes  in  magic,  which  he  assures  me  is  almost  a 
necessity  in  catching  wild  elephants  in  the  jungle.  I  am 
told  to  beware  of  mosquitoes  and  pariah  dogs  in  Bangkok. 
Besides  some  interesting  works  on  Siam,  I  have  been 
delving  in  George  Borrow 's  Lavengro  and  Machiavelli's 
Prince. 

June  14. 

By  noon  today  we  were  well  in  among  the  islands  at  the 
head  of  the  Gulf  of  Siam,  and  a  more  beautiful  sight  I  Ve 
seldom  seen.  A  blue  sky  with  filmy  white  clouds,  a  spark- 
ling sea,  innumerable  green  and  rocky  islands,  and  bold 
jutting  headlands,  guarding  white  shingled  coves  behind 
which  lurked  shadowy  hamlets,  and  just  enough  of  a 
breeze  to  cool  the  air  and  let  whitecaps  add  their  touch 
to  a  scene  enhanced  by  the  slithers  of  foam  and  clouds 
and  spray  which  played  about  the  base  of  the  dark  cliffs. 
Splendid  barbaric  sunset  on  the  palm-fringed  Menam 
River -we  watched  it,  hanging  over  the  rail  clad  in  spot- 
less white,  like  angels  ' '  leaning  forth  from  the  golden 
bar  of  Heaven."  The  native  shallops  gliding  hither  and 
yon  are  peculiarly  graceful  -  quite  Venetian -and  the 
lights  twinkling  out  over  the  river  would  make  the  scene 
almost  fairylike  were  it  not  for  these  audacious  mos- 
quitoes. Slap !  I  killed  one,  anyhow !  As  ever,  AMASA. 

ON  BOARD  THE  GOOD  SHIP  DELI,  June  21,  1908. 
DEAR  FATHER:  My  brief  five  days  in  Siam  were  well 
and  profitably  spent,  I  think,  and  from  what  people  liv- 
ing in  different  places  have  said,  there  is  no  country  which 
can  be  so  fully  seen  at  its  capital  as  Siam  at  Bangkok. 
It  is  far  more  to  the  Siamese,  than  Paris  to  the  French  - 
in  fact  there  is  no  comparison.  Of  course  I  should  have 
liked  to  have  stayed  much  longer ;  to  have  visited  Angkor 
Thorn  in  Cambodia  (which  takes  fully  three  weeks  from 
Bangkok)  or  to  have  taken  coasting  steamer  to  Saigon, 
and  thus  have  seen  something  of  French  Cochinchina 


272  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

and  Cambodia.  Also  to  have  taken  a  pony  trip  up  coun- 
try and  perhaps  done  a  bit  of  shooting ;  but  to  have  waited 
even  for  the  next  boat  would  have  made  me  miss  my  ap- 
pointment in  Batavia  with  Van  Heekeren,  so  I  had  to  be 
content  with  what  I  got.  As  it  was,  however,  I  had  a 
pleasant  day  in  the  country  with  Dunlap;  a  long  and 
highly  interesting  one  at  the  floating  city  of  Ayuthia 
browsing  about  the  vast  and  noble  ruins  of  that  ancient 
capital  with  Mr.  Sneider  (to  whom  I  had  an  introduction 
from  Koswell  Bates,  whom  in  turn  I  had  run  across  in 
Kioto  last  summer) ;  and  three  busy  days  in  Bangkok 
itself,  including  an  afternoon  with  Mrs.  Dunlap  in  the 
bazaars  and  pawnshops.  Mr.  Stroebel,  chief  adviser  to 
the  crown,  to  whom  I  had  letters,  is  dead.  He  seems  to 
have  been  a  remarkable  man,  and  to  have  won  both  the 
entire  respect  and  love  of  the  Siamese.  He  was  sent  out 
there  at  the  recommendation  of  Uncle  John  Hay,  and  did 
the  country  an  enormous  deal  of  good,  setting  a  splendid 
example  of  disinterestedness.  He  was  in  more  or  less 
physical  pain  all  the  time  he  was  there  (finally  dying  of 
cancer  of  the  stomach)  but  kept  constantly  in  harness, 
and  to  him  is  due  the  credit  of  putting  Siam  upon  her 
present  excellent  political  footing  by  completing,  or  at 
least  outlining,  all  her  treaties  with  the  other  powers. 
His  successor,  Mr.  Westingard,  of  Cambridge,  who  may 
now  be  considered  the  most  influential  foreigner  in  Siam, 
was  very  kind  and  cordial,  and  told  me  some  very  inter- 
esting things.  He  shares  with  the  Calif  ornian  Dr.  Hayes, 
medical  adviser  to  the  crown,  the  distinction  of  being  the 
most  popular  man  in  the  kingdom,  next  to  the  king  and 
the  primate.  He  has  recently  concluded  a  final  treaty 
with  France  which  seems  to  please  him  a  good  deal,  and 
is  negotiating  another  with  England.  Our  minister,  the 
Hon.  Hamilton  King,  was  home  on  leave.  Besides  a  per- 
sonal letter  from  Mr.  Boot,  I  had  one  to  him  from  a  class- 
mate, which  I  was  glad,  in  a  way,  not  to  have  to  present, 
as  it  is  a  bore  -  a  necessary  evil,  whose  results,  however, 


one]  STEAMSHIP  DELI  273 

are  usually  profitable.  The  First  Secretary  of  Legation 
John  Van  McMurray  (Princeton  '02),  proved  a  most  de- 
lightful companion.  While  I  was  there  he  received  a 
transfer  to  Greece,  so  that  I  may  see  him  again  at  Athens 
on  my  way  home.  The  only  possible  hotel  was  a  queer 
mixture,  a  dilapidated  garden,  an  imposing  entrance  and 
hallway,  a  glittering  salle-a-mahger,  and  the  most  miser- 
able bed-rooms  and  toilet  facilities  it  has  been  my  humble 
fortune  to  encounter  since  Manchuria,  There  were  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  seventy-three  mosquitoes  for 
every  pale  and  bleary  guest.  The  pigeon-breasted  French 
landlady  preserved  a  strict  personal  economy  of  soap 
and  water,  and  in  fact  most  of  those  I  met  in  the  land  of 
the  Yellow  Eobe  seemed  to  recently  have  had  differences 
with  their  washermen.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  an  intro- 
duction to  two  distinguished  Siamese:  the  governor  of  a 
province,  and  the  minister  for  foreign  affairs,  both 
princes,  of  course.  I  think  I  was  able  to  remember  their 
names  almost  a  minute.  The  Siamese  women  are  the 
least  attractive  of  any  I  have  seen  in  the  Orient,  though 
some  people  profess  to  get  used  to  them.  The  national 
garment  is  the  "  padung,"  wrapped  about  the  legs  and 
waist,  and  failing  to  cover  the  knees.  I  have  a  theory  that 
even  Diana  would  appear  ungraceful  in  it,  while  as  for 
these  knock-kneed,  black- teethed,  short-haired,  slovenly - 
but  speaking  of  short  hair,  there  is  rather  an  interesting 
tale  of  how  the  Siamese  women  came  to  wear  their  hair 
short.  It  seems  that  aeons  ago  one  of  the  northern  towns 
was  attacked  by  Cambodians,  whilst  its  garrison  was  off 
wreaking  vengeance  on  some  Shan  and  Burman  ma- 
rauders from  Pegu.  Despair  gripped  the  hearts  of  the 
tender  sex,  who  alone  remained.  One  virago,  however, 
a  wily  creature,  counseled  more  sturdily.  They  cut  off 
their  long  and  beauteous  tresses,  donned  man's  attire, 
and  bearing  wooden  weapons  (fashioned  by  an  old  crip- 
ple who  lived  in  a  hovel  near  the  West  Gate)  they  boldly 
mounted  the  walls,  fluttering  perhaps  inwardly,  if  the 


274  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

truth  must  be  told.  At  their  sudden  and  martial  appear- 
ance the  stalwart  Cambodians  were  seized  with  dread, 
the  devils  must  be  warring  against  them  to  have  so  mys- 
teriously brought  back  that  host  which  they  knew  to  be 
far  away.  They  fled  incontinently.  The  grateful  hus- 
bands, brothers,  and  fathers  on  their  return  decided  that 
the  women-folk  should  henceforth  be  allowed  to  wear  the 
' '  padung, ' '  and  have  their  hair  short.  Personally  I  don't 
think  it  an  enviable  honor,  but  so  it  was  decreed,  and  so 
it  has  been  observed  since  that  glorious  day.  May  this 
be  a  lesson  to  women  suffragists  at  home,  for  if  they 
ever  win  a  victory,  they  will  have  to  hie  them  forthwith 
to  the  barber  and  the  trousers-maker,  and  then -ah  then, 
good-bye  to  all  romance,  good-bye  to  beauty,  to  poetry, 
to  joy,  to  grace.  Good-bye  to -but  the  tears  are  in  my 
eyes! 

With  the  possible  exception  of  Korea,  there  seems  to  be 
no  place  where  the  missionaries  of  our  own  era -and 
when  one  says  missionaries  here,  one  practically  means 
the  American  Presbyterian  Missionaries,  of  whom  there 
are  about  eighty  in  Siam  and  amongst  the  Laos,  farther 
to  the  north -have  done  so  much  splendid  and  helpful 
work,  though  the  number  of  their  converts  is  not  large. 
One  can  hardly  read  a  book  on  the  country  (and  besides 
what  I  had  read  before,  I  culled  two  volumes  from  the 
library,  whose  contents  I  absorbed)  without  coming  con- 
stantly across  tributes  and  allusions  to  these  devoted 
workers.  They  put  the  first  plow,  whose  double  shares 
were  learning  and  medicine,  to  the  furrow  in  the  rich  but 
hitherto  uncultivated  soil  of  Siam.  The  first  vaccination 
was  performed  by  a  missionary ;  the  first  medicines  were 
brought  into  the  country  by  them;  the  first  dispensary 
and  hospital  were  theirs,  and -until  recent  years,  when, 
realizing  from  their  results,  the  necessity  as  well  as  ad- 
vantage of  education,  and  guided  to  a  large  measure  by 
the  missionary  teachers,  and  those  whom  they  recom- 
mended, the  king  founded  his  school  system,  which  is  rap- 


STEAMSHIP  DELI  277 

idly  growing  into  a  most  creditable  institution  -  all  the 
schools,  with  the  exception  of  the  monastic  schools,  which 
accomplish  little,  save  the  bare  rudiments  of  reading 
(usually  with  no  understanding)  and  writing,  and  a  cer- 
tain knowledge  and  committal-to-memory  of  the  sacred 
Buddhistic  writings,  were  those  of  the  missionaries.  I 
am  quite  well  aware  that  such  a  sentence  as  the  above, 
would,  according  to  popular  opinion,  gain  force  by  di- 
vision like  the  children  of  the  dragon's  teeth;  but  "In 
union  there  is  strength,"  and  besides  I  hadn't  the  heart 
to  destroy  its  glorious  monolithic  entity.  It  rears  itself 
up  amidst  the  waste  of  puny  lesser  sentences  and  phrases, 
like  a  bold  and  rugged  promontory,  and  heeds,  in  its 
conscious  power,  the  carpings  of  envious  critics  as  little 
as  the  North  Cape  heeds  the  biting  waves  that  spend 
themselves  against  its  massy  base !  I  do  not  say  that  it 
is  perfect.  I  do  not  claim  for  it  that  the  rough-hewn 
edges  have  been  polished  with  the  emery  wheel  of  the 
ready- writer.  I  simply  say  that  if,  in  the  works  of  Dante, 
Shakespeare,  Macaulay,  Victor  Hugo,  or  Gibbon,  you  can 
find  its  equal,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  you -that  is  all -I 
simply  say  I  shall  be  obliged  to  you.  However,  to  re- 
sume: It  detracts  nothing  from  their  merit,  but  rather 
lends  the  luster  of  romantic  odds  overcome,  that  the  first 
pupils  of  these  same  missionaries  were  hirelings,  the 
scholars  of  filthy  lucre;  whilst  the  first  and  original  pa- 
tient-his  complaint  being  diagnosed,  I  believe,  as 
"  gripes  of  the  tummy  "-was  bribed,  yes,  bribed,  to  take 
the  healing  balm  (I  refer  of  course  to  castor  oil).  Yes, 
the  innocent  looking  Siamese  is  as  wily  as  the  'Eathen 
Chinee.  He  had  to  be  paid  to  have  his  letters  and  lini- 
ments thrust  upon  him !  Once  possessed  of  a  smattering 
of  learning,  the  embryonic  literati,  was  paid  to  go  before 
his  superiors  and  those  in  authority,  and  "  show  off," 
while  the  restored  sufferer  was  paid  to  leap  and  sing  and 
loudly  extol  the  healing  virtues  of  the  miraculous  cure 
which  had  soothed  those  deadly  "  gripes  of  the  tummy." 


278  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

Of  such  strange  and  humble  beginnings  are  the  mighty 
results  of  the  present  constructed;  for  are  not  all  the 
graduates  of  the  schools  snapped  up  at  once  for  official 
and  mercantile  positions?  Are  not  hospitals  and  dis- 
pensaries supplanting  the  old  herb-doctor,  even  in  the 
more  remote  villages,  and  is  not  the  voice  of  the  printing 
press  heard  in  the  land? 

The  treaty  with  England,  whereby  the  latter  gives  up 
her  ex-territorial  rights  for  the  compensation  of  ten 
thousand  square  miles  and  agrees  to  protect  Siam  with 
the  light  of  her  countenance,  if  she  is  unjustifiably  at- 
tacked, has  been  concluded,  according  to  rumor.  Whether 
this  be  so  or  not,  I  cannot  say,  for  of  course  I  didn't  like 
to  question  Mr.  Westingard  on  so  delicate  a  subject ;  but 
I  should  think  it  would  be  a  fine  thing  for  Siam,  since  it 
will  relieve  her  from  all  apprehension  of  the  aggression 
of  France,  hitherto  a  grievous  thorn  in  her  side.  If  Siam 
continues  on  her  present  slow  but  sure  upward  course; 
if  she  refuses  to  stagnate,  and  justifies  her  existence  to 
the  criterion  of  civilization  and  progress,  I  think  she  will 
always  remain  independent  and  have,  compared  to  her 
antecedents,  a  great  future  before  her ;  for  she  has  some 
splendid  men,  both  Siamese  and  foreign,  in  her  govern- 
ment and  mercantile  positions,  and  the  younger  genera- 
tion are  proving  very  capable  and  far  sighted  in  that  they 
are  going  slowly,  not  attempting  to  bite  off  more  than 
they  can  swallow.  Moreover  the  land  is  immensely  rich 
with  tea,  rice,  tin,  rubber,  and  copra;  and  railroads  are 
yearly  developing  it  more  and  more.  Then,  too,  the 
crown  prince  seems  to  be  equally  as  energetic  and  pru- 
dent as  his  father,  and  what  is  a  far  more  valuable  cor- 
ollary as  an  antidote  against  retrogression,  he  is  more 
moral.  The  contrast  of  the  bright  and  busy  present  with 
the  somnolent  and  storied  past,  is  what  gives  Siam  its 
charm;  wharves  and  railroads  combined  with  Wats  and 
ruins  of  stately  Dravidian  fanes;  schools  and  hospitals 
with  carved  monasteries  and  golden  palaces!  About  a 


DRAVIDIAX  TEMPLE,  SIAM 


STEAMSHIP  DELI  281 

week  before  I  arrived  the  old  and  new  regime  had  a  clash. 
An  elephant  charged  a  train,  which  she  evidently  thought 
was  about  to  attack  her  two  little  darlings  -  great  hulk- 
ing brutes !  Of  course  she  was  killed,  but  the  engine  and 
several  cars  were  smashed,  and  the  entire  train  derailed. 
The  track  has  been  cleared  and  traffic  reopened,  but  the 
ill-fated  engine  still  lies  half  sunk  in  a  morass  beside  the 
track,  and  many  dilapidated  cars  are  sprawled  about,  elo- 
quent witnesses  to  the  prowess  of  their  foe.  Close  beside 
the  track,  representing  the  new,  hated  order  of  things, 
which  as  mistress  of  the  jungle  she  strove  to  overcome, 
is  buried  the  body  of  the  brave  lady  who  did  the  deed.  I 
shed  one  little  tear  upon  her  grave,  for  I  always  like  to 
encourage  energy,  and  she  certainly  showed  some.  Rather 
good  for  one  elephant,  wasn't  it? 

There  are  rather  more  of  us  on  the  return  voyage.  Be- 
sides Ellis,  t^e  Englishman -who  shared  my  cabin 
coming  up,  and  with  whom  I  have  seen  more  or  less  of 
Bangkok  at  night,  a  very  pleasant  chap  -  there  are  three 
Germans.  Dr.  Wertheimber,  who  is  going  to  German  East, 
and  later  South,  Africa,  a  splendid  young  chap  who  wants 
me  to  join  forces  with  him ;  an  Austrian ;  two  Frenchmen ; 
a  Dutchman  (who  knows  Van  Heekeren  by  reputation) ; 
a  Scotchman;  a  Siamese;  two  scarlet  women;  and  the 
irrepressible  captain  who  is  constantly  popping  up  un- 
expectedly with  a  cigar,  a  novel,  a  drink,  or  a  sandwich 
for  you,  or  wagging  his  head  mournfully  from  his  cabin 
window,  or  tugging  fiercely  at  his  mustachios.  We  play 
bridge,  shuffle-board,  and  quoits,  and  I  read  omnivorously 
(I  believe  all  great  men  read  omnivorously  when  they  are 
young) .  I  have  always  regarded  *  *  Daisy,  Daisy,  Give  me 
your  answer  true,"  as  a  rather  commonplace  tune,  and 
was  quite  surprised  at  the  rich  vein  of  sadness  extracted 
from  it  by  our  aged  Dutch  friend,  who  consists  of  a  bald 
head,  a  red  face,  and  a  noticeable  snugness  about  the  belt. 
He  plays  bridge  very  well,  by  the  way,  but  whenever  he 


282  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

chances  to  make  a  mistake,  shrugs  and  remarks  that  he 
is  ' '  Handicapt  by  ze  langwich. ' ' 

SINGAPORE,  June  25. 

It  has  been  rather  rainy  here  the  past  two  days.  I 
have  been  playing  around  with  the  doctor  and  Ellis  and 
a  couple  of  friends  of  the  latter 's.  They  all  left  today, 
however.  The  doctor  has  been  the  only  real  tourist  I've 
met  for  a  couple  of  months  -  no  one  seems  to  travel  in  the 
east  out  of  season,  except  on  business.  Speaking  of 
travel,  my  own  on  these  Nord  Deutscher  Lloyd  boats  has 
helped  my  German  considerably,  as  I  made  it  a  point  to 
speak  it  as  much  as  possible.  There  have  been  some  quite 
exciting  Soccer-football  matches  in  Singapore  the  past 
day  or  two.  I  see  by  the  paper  that  the  German  govern- 
ment is  going  to  carry  out  its  plan  of  sending  parties  of 
schoolboys  on  tours  through  their  colonies  this  year,  as 
they  have  been  doing  throughout  Germany  in  the  past. 
Not  a  bad  scheme,  that.  I  wish  more  of  our  young  men 
came  out  here,  and  also  that  more  of  the  better  sort  were 
here  in  trade  and  in  the  consular  service.  "We've  got  an 
awfully  bad  name  throughout  the  far  east,  on  account 
of  the  class  who  have  been  representing  us  for  the  past 
twenty  years.  There  are  a  couple  of  good  Chinese  and 
Hindoo  temples  here,  and  of  course  the  celebrated  Botanic 
Garden -but  not  much  else  except  the  native  quarter  and 
the  bazaars.  Before  the  British  took  possession  the  site 
of  Singapore  was  a  vast  swamp,  inhabited  by  a  few  am- 
phibious Malays,  wild  beasts,  and  fever  germs.  It  is 
owing  to  the  Pax  Brittanica  that  so  many  different  na- 
tions are  able  to  do  business  at  this,  one  of  the  world's 
greatest  marts,  today.  I  crossed  over  to  the  mainland 
and  saw  the  native  principality  of  Johore  the  last  time 
I  was  here.  I  found  a  cordial  note  from  the  baron  wait- 
ing for  me  when  I  arrived,  and  urging  me  to  come  up  to 
Sinagar  for  a  few  days  before  the  shoot.  I  leave  tomor- 
row morning  by  Dutch  Mail  Packet  for  Batavia.  Your 
loving  son,  AMASA. 


one]  BATAVIA  283 

P.S.  I  have  conquered  the  Durien.  I  had  some  really 
delicious  ones  at  tiffin  in  Bangkok,  and  have  quite  gotten 
over  my  dislike  for  them,  based  on  my  unfortunate  at- 
tempt in  Java.  Oh,  thou  delicious,  nutty,  almond,  cus- 
tard-but  I  must  curb  myself,  I  shall  only  make  your 
mouth  water  in  vain,  for  you  can  get  none  in  America. 
The  Siamese  Mangosteens  are  the  best  I  've  tried  yet,  and 
attain  the  acme  of  perfection.  Custard-apples  are  like- 
wise very  good  here,  and  realize  their  reputation.  Pas- 
sion-fruit -  the  pulp  scooped  out,  and  eaten  with  sherry 
in  a  wine  glass -is  a  treat. 

I  wish  you  would  read  The  Tragedy  of  Korea  by  F.  A. 
McKenzie.  He  is  the  man,  you  may  remember,  who  of- 
fered to  take  me  with  him  on  this  very  trip  to  the  scene 
of  the  hostilities  described  in  his  book.  Things  were  all 
arranged,  saddles,  rifles,  ponies,  boys,  food,  etc.,  when  we 
were  delayed  t>y  the  Japanese  refusing  to  grant  permits. 
I  couldn't  wait,  as  I  had  a  date  in  about  three  weeks  with 
Gilbert  in  Peking,  but  McKenzie  got  away  about  two 
months  later,  and  this  very  interesting  book  is  the  re- 
sult. He  is,  of  course,  a  Britisher,  an  ally  of  Japan,  and 
should,  therefore,  be  in  sympathy  with  the  Japs,  or  at 
least  unbiased.  Bead,  mark,  learn,  and  inwardly  digest! 

A.  S.  M. 

BATAVIA,  June  29. 

DEAR  FATHER:  Mr.  Farqueson  of  the  Standard  Oil, 
who  shared  my  cabin  coming  over  from  Singapore,  seems 
to  be  a  tip-top  chap,  and  comes  from  Boston.  Mr.  Davis, 
also  Standard  Oil,  and  a  Batavian  resident  of  some  years 
standing,  has  put  me  up  at  the  clubs,  and  last  night  took 
Farqueson  and  me  out  to  a  concert  at  the  Harmonie  Club, 
where  we  met  a  lot  of  nice  chaps.  I  expect  to  have  a 
pleasant  two  days  here,  tennis,  etc.,  until  I  go  to  Sinagar. 

We  had  a  smooth  trip  across -boat  very  full.  Passed 
a  Dutch  fleet  of  cruisers  and  torpedo  boats  bound  for 


284  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

Sumatra  and  Bali,  where  there  is  fighting  going  on  with 
the  natives.  I  am  again  struck  by  the  beauty  of  Batavia 
after  the  Indian  cities,  and  even  tropical  Singapore. 

Evening. 
Your  welcome  cable  just  received. 

You  should  get  this  letter  about  July  thirtieth,  at  which 
time  I  will  be  in  Singapore,  as  I  intend  to  leave  here  on 
July  twenty-fourth,  and  an  answer  to  it  will  probably 
find  me  in  Mombasa,  where  my  bank,  as  you  know,  is  the 
National  Bank  of  India.  I  don't  know  just  how  to  get  to 
Mombasa  yet.  There  is  no  regular  line  from  India  or 
Ceylon,  and  I  don't  want  to  have  to  go  as  far  out  of  my 
way  as  Port  Said.  However,  I  may  be  able  to  pick  up  a 
tramp  steamer  from  some  Indian  Port,  bound  for  some 
point  on  the  East  Coast  of  Africa. 

July  1. 

I  doubt  if  our  shoot  will  last  over  two  weeks,  so  that 
I  shall  have  time  to  go  to  Garoet,  Tosari,  or  Soerokarta, 
none  of  which  I  visited  last  time,  and  may  even  take  a 
trip  up  the  Bromo-the  famous  volcano.  .  . 

No  more  now,  as  I  leave  in  about  ten  minutes.  Your 
loving  son,  AMASA. 

SINAGAR,  July  1,  1908. 

DEAR  PHID  :  I  arrived  here  about  six  o  'clock  this  even- 
ing, to  find  quite  a  little  house-party.  Besides  the  baron, 
there  were  two  of  his  assistants,  Baron  Van  Dyk,  and 
Herr  Van  Amerongen,  a  neighboring  planter  and  sports- 
man, Boreel,  and  Herr  and  Frau  Holler.  Mr.  Holler  and 
Mr.  Boreel  (the  latter  a  member  of  the  Sportsmen's 
Club,  of  which  Van  Heekeren  is  president)  had  just  re- 
turned from  a  ten  days'  shoot  in  the  preserve,  and  had 
each  secured  a  banteng.  They  seem  like  keen  energetic 
sportsmen.  They  reported  the  game  as  very  shy,  and 


one] SINAGAR 285 

considered  that  there  must  have  been  a  great  deal  of 
poaching  and  shooting  by  natives;  jungle  thick  and 
thorny,  grass  long  and  progress  difficult ;  no  mosquitoes  or 
leaches  to  speak  of,  but  ticks  innumerable.  Frau  Holler 
is  young  and  very  beautiful.  I  find  Sinagar  as  charming 
as  formerly -we  had  time  for  a  short  stroll  in  the  garden, 
and  a  visit  to  the  big  stables  and  the  baron's  extra- 
ordinary aviary  before  dark.  A  pleasant  dinner  and  a 
very  delightful  evening. 

July  2. 

Had  a  swim  in  the  clear  cold  tank  after  morning  cof- 
fee and  cigarette  with  Van  Amerongen  and  the  baron,  and 
saw  the  sun  rise  in  all  its  splendor  over  purple  Salak,  and 
light  up  the  rich  and  beautiful  plain  in  which  Sinagar  is 
set  between  it  and  the  lordly  Gede.  Our  guns,  luggage, 
food,  etc.,  were  despatched  today  by  coolie,  as  it  takes 
them  four  days  to  reach  Tjikepoeh,  where  the  Club  Bun- 
galow is,  and  us  only  two  days.  Enjoyed  myself  very 
much  in  a  lazy  sort  of  way  riding  and  strolling  about  the 
vast  estate,  watching  the  busy  self-sufficient  life  of  the 
four  thousand  or  more  people  who  live  on  it,  poking  about 
the  factories,  carpenter  shops,  drying  rooms,  sorting 
rooms,  etc.,  the  stable  and  aviary,  watching  the  peacocks 
and  great  purple  crested  royal  pigeons  of  Borneo  being 
fed  on  the  lawn,  and  listening  to  the  baron's  inimitable 
stories.  Mr.  Hoyt,  perhaps,  can  make  more  out  of  a  little 
incident  or  jest,  but  the  tone,  the  look,  the  delightful  ac- 
cent, the  eloquent  gestures  of  the  baron,  are  of  a  fine  dis- 
tinctive quality  quite  alone. 

July  3. 

Much  the  same  as  yesterday.  This  to  me  is  an  ideal 
existence,  when  one  wants  to  be  lazy.  Combine  a  life  of 
this  sort  with  plenty  of  outdoor  exercise,  riding  to  hounds, 
hunting,  shooting,  boating,  swimming,  tennis,  etc.,  and 
I  could  go  on  doing  it  forever.  Belays  of  carriages  and 
horses  were  sent  on  ahead  today  to  expedite  our  journey 


286  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

of  the  morrow.  Van  Dyk,  it  seems,  was  a  young  Dutch 
blood,  who  lost  everything  in  the  recent  Wall  Street 
smash,  and  the  baron,  who  was  at  that  time  in  need  of 
another  assistant,  wrote  to  Holland  offering  him  this  job 
for  the  sake  of  "  auld  lang  syne."  He  managed  to  save 
a  couple  of  good  blooded  horses  from  his  fall,  which  he 
brought  with  him  to  Java  and  is  going  to  ride  at  the  ap- 
proaching races  at  Bandong.  He  is  a  pleasant  vivacious 
chap,  with  a  good  deal  of  manner,  fond  of  dress,  racing, 
and  a  good  time,  but  of  unmistakable  good  breeding  and 
birth.  Van  Amerongen  is  a  nervous,  droll,  eccentric 
fellow,  with  a  keen  sense  of  humor.  He  walks  and  talks 
very  fast  indeed,  and  is  constantly  jerking  himself  about 
like  a  jumping-jack.  He  laughs  a  good  deal,  though  he 
never  permits  himself  really  to  enjoy  a  hearty  Homeric 
salvo,  but  stops  short  suddenly  with  a  sharp  intake  of 
breath,  and  flies  off  on  a  tangent  about  something  quite 
alien  to  the  conversation. 

THE  GLORIOUS  FOURTH. 

Up  at  four  this  morning ;  which  reminded  me  of  how  I 
had  somewhat  similarly  comported  myself  on  many  sim- 
ilar occasions -slinking  down  stairs,  shoes  in  hand,  to 
the  south  porch,  where  a  big  basket  lay  ready  charged 
with  my  "  before  breakfast "  ammunition. 

A  swim,  coffee,  and  a  sandwich,  and  we  drove  off  at 
five  with  our  toothbrushes  in  our  pockets,  and  our  pa- 
jamas wrapped  up  in  towels.  I  think  I  enjoy  my  sunrises 
more  than  Mark  Twain  did  his,  or  at  least  his  attempts 
on  the  Bigi,  and  today's  was  as  mystically  beautiful  as 
ever. 

Somnolent,  vast  and  inert,  the  darkness  lay 

Waiting  for  dawn.     Across  the  ocean  stirred 

A  luminous  haze,  not  light,  but  whispering  light. 

About  seven-fifteen  we  found  the  first  relay,  changing 
into  light  native  carts -three  ponies  apiece.  We  each 
consumed,  shortly  afterwards,  a  couple  of  hard-boiled 
eggs  and  a  sandwich,  which  we  had  tucked  into  our  pock- 


one]  SINAGAR  287 

ets,  and  washed  it  down  with  claret  and  water  from  a 
Thermos  bottle  with  which  I  had  presented  the  baron. 
Note  this  fact  about  the  food,  as  it  is  significant  in  the  light 
of  coming  events.  At  nine  we  found  our  horses  waiting  at 
a  native  kampong,  and  swung  up  into  the  saddle  for 
what  we  expected  would  be  a  five  hour  ride.  For  the  first 
couple  of  hours  we  went  up,  up,  till  we  must  have  reached 
an  altitude  of  four  thousand  feet,  and  could  see  the  ocean 
in  the  dim  distance  ahead,  and  the  blue  mountains  around 
Sinagar  behind.  There  were  tea  estates  here,  and  ever 
and  anon  a  village;  clearings  were  being  made  for  more 
plantations ;  and  the  road  was  excellent.  Gradually,  how- 
ever, as  we  wound  down  from  this  height,  we  came  into  a 
dark  and  lofty  forest,  where  the  sunlight  filtered  through 
and  lay  in  patches  athwart  the  grass-grown  track  ahead 
of  us.  Vines^  creepers,  flowers,  ferns,  flowering  trees, 
palms  of  all  sorts,  and  trees  of  a  denser  foliage  than  those 
at  home,  lent  their  charms  to  a  lovely  picture,  and  the 
baron,  riding  ahead  of  me  on  his  fine  Arab  barb,  made  a 
romantic  centerpiece,  with  the  blue  smoke  of  his  long 
cigar  curling  out  from  under  his  broad  hat,  and  floating 
on  ahead  of  him  down  the  green  aisles.  After  noon,  we 
passed  no  more  villages  -  which  meant  no  more  cool  re- 
freshing draughts  of  cocoanut-and  hardly  met  anyone. 
Two  o'clock  came,  but  no  Valouran,  our  halting  place 
for  the  night.  We  continued  winding  through  this  forest 
primeval,  beguiling  the  interminable  way  so  successfully 
with  chat,  song,  and  story,  that  only  application  to  our 
watches  informed  us  when  it  was  five  o'clock.  Then  we 
found  out  that  one  of  the  boys  had  conceived  the  truly 
brilliant  idea  of  conducting  us  to  Valouran  by  another 
and  unknown  route,  which  he  had  heard  was  shorter  than 
the  old  one.  Imagine  the  baron's  fury!  He  wagged  his 
fore-finger  ferociously,  and  fairly  stuttered  in  his  wrath. 
Perhaps  it  was  just  as  well  that  he  spoke  to  the  boy  in 
Soundanese,  a  language  of  which  I  have  only  a  smattering. 
It  was  a  quarter  past  six  when  we  finally  dismounted  at 


288  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [VoL 

the  rest-house,  and  oh,  how  stiff  and  empty  we  were! 
Shakespeare,  who  it  is  said  has  an  apt  phrase  for  every 
human  sensation  and  situation,  certainly  hit  ours  off  well 
in  his  * '  Journey-bated  and  brought  low. ' '  The  native 
sultan  of  the  little  principality  we  were  now  in -a  friend 
of  the  baron,  and  knowing  we  were  coming -sent  over 
a  truly  royal  riz-taefel,  some  thirty  odd  side  dishes,  after 
which,  and  some  cherished  beer,  at  once  to  bed  and  to 
sleep  as  soundly  as  policemen.  I  forgot  to  mention  that 
during  dinner  I  proposed  and  we  drank  standing,  healths 
to  Christopher  Columbus  and  George  Washington,  in 
honor  of  the  glorious  day. 

July  5. 

After  one  of  the  finest  sleeps  on  record,  we  arose  at 
five,  had  coffee  and  a  cold  collation  from  the  remains  of 
yesternight's  banquet,  and  were  away  by  six.  This  morn- 
ing's ride  through  the  jungle  was  even  more  beautiful 
than  yesterday's.  The  track  was  narrower  and  more 
overgrown,  moss-grown  logs  had  to  be  jumped,  rushing 
streams  forded,  and  vines  and  swaying  orchids,  which 
reached  across  the  trail,  had  to  be  stooped  under.  About 
noon  a  tropic  storm  broke  over  us,  in  furious  splendor, 
and  we  rode  the  last  two  hours  in  a  whole-hearted  down- 
pour-none  of  your  drizzles.  The  baron,  though  wrapped 
in  the  voluminous  folds  of  a  military  cloak,  was  soon  as 
wet  as  I,  to  my  low-minded  and  secret  delight.  The  wind 
howled  and  shrieked,  leaves  and  branches  were  swept 
past,  the  sky  became  dark,  thunder  and  lightning  played 
about  us;  a  couple  of  trees  were  felled  across  our  path, 
and  several  streams  we  had  to  cross  were  soon  in  such  a 
swollen  condition  as  to  render  them  quite  an  undertaking. 

We  made  several  rough  and  rocky  ascents,  and  some 
descents  so  steep  and  slippery  that  we  were  forced  to 
dismount -though  the  path  was  by  this  time  itself  little 
more  than  a  mountain  torrent.  At  two  o'clock  we  made 
the  bungalow  at  Tjikepoeh,  and  had  riz-taefel  and  a 
change.  The  storm  subsided  to  a  gray  drizzle,  and  about 


one]  SINAGAR  289 

three-thirty  I  sallied  forth  to  see  if  I  could  pick  up  a 
deer  for  the  pot -the  baron  staying  in  camp  to  nap  and 
question  the  trackers,  whom  he  had  sent  for,  as  to  the 
condition  of  the  game  and  the  country.  It  seemed  that 
the  Eurasian,  Herr  Olive,  whom  the  club  had  put  in 
charge  of  the  preserve,  had  found  it  lonely  in  his  jungle 
bungalow,  and  had  moved  with  his  wife  to  a  village  about 
ten  miles  distant.  This  being  noised  abroad,  the  natives 
had  been  shooting  deer,  stag  and  banteng  -  male,  female, 
and  young  alike -ad  lib.,  as  their  meat  fetches  a  good 
price  in  local  markets,  hence  the  game  was  scarce  and 
shy,  and  the  outlook  for  us  far  from  optimistic.  I  re- 
turned about  six-thirty  in  the  dark,  empty-handed,  hav- 
ing seen  nothing  but  a  wild  pig.  I  made  up  my  mind  that, 
game  being  so  scarce,  I  would  shoot  at  nothing  but  ban- 
teng, or  perhaps  stag  (the  Java  stag  is  much  like  the 
Indian  sambur)  until  after  I  had  gotten  one  of  the  two, 
as  I  didn't  want  to  alarm  the  jungle  for  mere  deer  or 
boar,  and  run  the  risk  of  frightening  away  something 
more  worth  while,  and  losing  what  might  turn  out  to  be 
my  only  opportunity.  I  am  willing  to  sacrifice  the  small, 
for  the  chance  of  the  large.  I  think  if  a  person  really 
wants  to  get  any  one  specie,  he  ought  to  make  up  his  mind 
at  once  to  do  this.  His  bag  will  probably  be  very  small, 
but  his  chances  for  getting  what  he  is  after  are  about 
fifty  per  cent  better.  I  am  very  anxious  to  secure  a  ban- 
teng, as  not  only  are  they  a  rare  and  fast  disappearing 
member  of  the  "  bos  "  family,  but  they  are,  in  themselves, 
a  noble  quarry,  and  worthy  of  one's  steel,  having  the  rep- 
utation of  putting  up  as  good  a  fight  as  the  most  truculent 
buffalo,  to  whom,  of  course,  they  are  akin. 

The  country  is  different  again,  hereabouts,  from  any- 
thing I  have  ever  been  in.  Although  not  high  (our  camp 
is  perhaps  twelve  hundred  feet  above  the  sea)  it  is  very 
lumpy,  not  a  level  spot  in  the  district -simply  a  wild 
chaos  of  hills  and  ridges,  neither  very  rocky  nor  very 
steep,  and  the  highest  perhaps  fifteen  hundred  feet  grad- 


290  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

ually  descending  to  the  sea.  The  tops  of  these  hills  are 
open  and  treeless,  and  covered  with  breast-high  swale- 
grass.  From  the  higher  ones  splendid  views  can  be  had 
across  the  wild  country  to  where  the  ocean  stretches  away 
in  an  unbroken  expanse  to  the  South  Pole.  My  binoculars 
were  not  sufficiently  powerful  to  enable  me  to  see  this 
edifice,  but  I  have  been  assured  that  it  is  there -some- 
where. Occasionally  we  came  across  an  open  hollow  or  a 
little  plateau  of  swale-grass,  but  for  the  most  part  the 
valleys  and  ravines  were  choked  with  the  densest  kind  of 
jungle.  No  more  thorns  or  creepers,  perhaps,  than  in 
those  of  Ceylon,  for  that  would  be  impossible ;  but  much 
harder  jungles  to  see  through,  because  there  are  far  more 
broad-leafed  plants  here -giant  palms,  ferns  and  fronds. 
There  are  practically  no  mosquitoes  or  leeches,  when 
compared  with  Ceylon  and  Travancore,  but  the  ticks  are 
something  frightful,  and  I  have  to  keep  my  tweezers 
constantly  busy.  The  greatest  blessing  is  the  water. 
Every  glen  has  its  little  silver  thread  of  a  brooklet  chat- 
tering over  its  stones.  The  natives  here  don't  speak 
Malay,  so  the  baron  is  kindly  teaching  me  some  Soundan- 
ese  phrases,  useful  in  the  chase,  lalaki-bull  banteng; 
mingchuck-Toe  deer;  bagong~wi\d  boar;  kuna- wound- 
ed; anyar-&  fresh  track;  minta- bring  me;  sedeea- 
ready,  etc.  I  told  the  baron  not  to  bring  along  anything 
special  for  me,  as  I  would  eat  and  drink  whatever  he  did, 
but  it  is  not  a  very  varied  fare -rice.  Eice,  morning, 
noon,  and  night,  with  garnishment,  peppers,  chilis,  chut- 
ney, chowchow,  pickles,  bananas,  etc.  However,  I  am 
very  glad,  as  by  the  time  I  leave  here  I  shall  have  become 
quite  hardened  to  it,  and  will  be  able  to  take  lots  of  it  in 
Africa,  much  cheaper  and  easier  to  carry  than  tinned 
food.  We  also  have  crackers,  cocoa,  and  plenty  of  beer 
and  soda. 

July  6. 

Off  at  five-thirty  this  morning,  while  it  was  still  dark  - 
back  at  six  tonight.    No  luck.    The  sun  rises  here  about 


one]  SINAGAR  291 

five  minutes  before  six,  at  this  time  of  year,  and  sets 
about  five  minutes  after.  The  baron  wounded  a  lalaki 
about  three,  but  failed  to  bag  it.  We  hunt  separately,  in 
opposite  directions,  as  there  are  plenty  of  bushmen  and 
gun  bearers  for  both  of  us,  and  it  improves  our  chances, 
as  we  make  less  noise  by  traveling  in  small  bodies.  Tired 
and  footsore  tonight.  Nothing  to  eat  but  rice,  but  lots 
of  beer  to  drink. 

July  7. 

A  long  day's  tramp.  Came  on  a  fresh  track  early,  and 
followed  it  nearly  all  day -no  luck.  Blisteringly  hot. 
Came  upon  a  delightfully  refreshing  pool  amidst  the 
rocks  about  twelve-thirty,  where  we  halted  for  tiffin. 
Yesterday  and  today  I  put  into  force  the  famous  '  *  Mather 
System  for  Natives,"  that  is  to  say,  I  didn't  let  them  stop 
and  rest  any  during  the  morning,  kept  them  longer  be- 
fore halting  for  tiffin  than  they  liked,  made  this  merely  an 
hour's  halt,  and  kept  on  hunting  until  it  was  too  dark  to 
see.  Tomorrow  I  shall  ease  up  on  them  a  bit.  My  theory 
is  that  if  your  are  severe  at  first,  the  men  work  harder 
and  don't  try  to  impose  upon  you,  or  try  on  any  monkey- 
business.  The  baron  came  on  a  cow  with  a  new  born  ban- 
teng  today -but  couldn't  get  a  picture,  as  it  was  in  dense 
jungle  and  very  dark. 

July  8. 

Long  day,  no  luck.  Back  by  the  light  of  the  crescent 
moon.  I'm  able  to  enjoy  the  beauties  of  the  jungle  in 
spite  of  my  want  of  success.  As  I  limped  wearily  into 
camp  tonight  about  six-thirty,  I  saw  the  baron  sitting  on 
the  steps  of  the  bungalow,  smoking  one  of  his  long,  knee- 
rolled  cigarettes.  "  What  luck,"  I  sang  out.  "  None," 
he  growled,  * '  and  you,  have  you  got  it  ?  "  "  No, ' '  I  said, 
"  give  me  some  beer."  "Ha  ha,"  he  chuckled,  "  I  have 
already  had  two  bottles. ' ' 

July  9. 

Long,  hard,  fruitless  day.    Came  upon  the  remains  of 


292  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

a  calf-banteng,  which  had  been  eaten  about  two  days  ago 
by  a  tiger.  Saw  some  crocodiles  and  pig.  Baron  was 
equally  unsuccessful. 

July  10. 

Another  hard,  hot  day.  A  fresh  track  which  we  were 
following,  took  us  down  to  sea  level,  and  finally  right  out 
onto  the  beach.  As  there  was  a  nice  breeze,  I  stopped 
here  for  tiffin,  and  picked  up  some  beautiful,  pale,  lav- 
ender-tinted shells.  About  three  o'clock  I  put  up  a  ban- 
teng  twice,  but  the  jungle  was  so  thick  I  couldn't  even 
see  him.  About  five-thirty,  as  we  were  crossing  a  grassy 
upland,  a  bull  and  cow  banteng,  on  a  jungle  covered  slope 
perhaps  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  away,  caught  our 
wind,  and  went  crashing  off.  I  threw  up  my  gun,  and  as 
luck  would  have  it,  caught  a  fleeting  glimpse  of  both  be- 
fore they  disappeared.  I  fired  at  the  bull,  but  missed.  It 
was  perhaps  foolish  to  have  risked  a  snap  shot  of  that 
sort,  but  it  may  be  my  only  chance. 

July  11. 

Away  by  five-thirty.  Another  long  hard  day.  No  luck. 
Saw  a  "  Muntjak  "  or  "  barking  deer  "  but  didn't  shoot. 
Came  upon  a  deep  clear  pool  in  a  swift,  cold,  jungle 
stream,  and  I  and  my  men  enjoyed  a  swim.  On  my  re- 
turn to  camp  at  dark,  I  found  the  baron  had  received  bad 
news  by  runner.  The  business  agent  for  the  Sinagar 
Tea  Estate,  who  lives  in  Batavia,  has  been  taken  very 
ill,  and  must  go  back  to  Holland ;  so  the  baron  will  have 
to  leave  here  almost  at  once,  in  order  to  see  and  confer 
with  him  before  he  leaves.  As  he  insists  upon  it,  I  shall 
stay  on  a  couple  of  days  after  he  goes.  It  will  be  mighty 
hard  luck  for  him  if  he  gets  nothing  tomorrow. 

July  12. 

Baron  sent  off  a  runner  at  daylight  to  arrange  for  his 
carriages,  etc.  A  hard  day.  Uneventful  morning,  but 
an  exciting  afternoon,  as  I  put  up  a  banteng  three  times, 
never  near  enough  to  catch  sight  of  him,  however.  Male- 


came  across  a  pool  in  a  jungle  stream" 


SINAGAR  295 


diction  upon  this  dense  jungle,  say  I!  My  clothes  are 
being  torn  to  shreds  by  the  vicious  thorns.  No  luck  for 
either  of  us. 

July  13. 

Oh,  the  glory  of  the  dawns,  the  splendor  of  the  sunsets, 
and  the  majesty  of  the  velvet  nights.  This  and  the  fine 
vigorous  life  we  are  leading,  almost  makes  up  for  our 
want  of  success.  Almost,  I  say,  but  not  quite.  I  can't 
say  much  for  the  food,  however.  A  little  fresh  fish  helps 
now  and  then,  but  we  haven't  any  meat.  The  baron 
mounted  for  civilized  parts  this  morn  at  six.  A  tear 
glistened  in  his  bright  blue  eye.  It  was  a  dramatic  mo- 
ment! I  wrung  his  hand,  and  plunged  grimly  into  the 
jungle.  A  long  stern  chase  from  six-thirty  to  twelve, 
forty-five.  Af  tei*  we  lost  this  first  trail,  we  kept  beating 
about  in  hope  of  another,  till  after  dark.  I've  seldom 
worked  so  hard,  but  all  would  not  do.  A  grand  storm 
came  sweeping  up  about  five-thirty,  and  as  I  was  on  a 
hilltop  at  the  time,  could  enjoy  a  splendid  spectacle- 
swaying  palms  and  breaking  ferns.  There  is  a  sort  of 
creeper  in  these  jungles,  from  which  the  natives  cut  a 
section,  and  the  sap  flows  out  like  water  from  a  pipe.  I 
tried  some  today,  and  found  it  excellent -a  useful  note, 
in  case  I  come  across  it  again  in  Africa.  There  are  two 
kinds  of  leaves  which  the  natives  eat,  one  pod-shaped, 
like  a  glorified  bean,  the  other  thick,  pulpy,  and  oozing  a 
sort  of  milky  paste.  I've  also  learned  a  new  fruit,  the 
sour-sop,  which  tastes  like  strawberries  and  cream.  Came 
across  some  huge  Swiss- Family- Robinson  trees  today, 
which  made  me  think  of  the  first  chapter  of  Dick,  or  the 
King  of  the  Dwarfs.  The  woods  are  full  of  large  black 
monkeys,  whose  name  I  don't  know.  I  got  to  within  a 
few  yards  of  one  on  the  ground  yesterday,  but  the  mo- 
ment he  saw  me,  he  sprang  about  ten  feet  straight  up 
into  the  air,  caught  a  swinging  vine  and  disappeared 
without  so  much  as  a  "  How-do-you-do?  "  Inhospitable, 
I  call  it  -  right  in  his  own  home,  too !  Bananas  and  cocoa- 


296  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

nuts  do  not  grow  wild  in  the  jungles,  as  I  used  to  so  fondly 
imagine,  but  are  only  to  be  found  where  there  are,  or  have 
been,  villages.  Oh,  the  ticks !  Seven  hundred  and  forty- 
three  have  taken  up  lodging  on  my  person  and  I  can  hard- 
ly persuade  them  to  move  with  the  combined  use  of 
tweezers  and  carbolic  soap.  No  luck  yet,  but  am  as  keen 
as  ever. 

July  14. 

Up  at  four-thirty,  away  at  five-fifteen  in  the  moonlight. 
At  five,  forty-five  sighted  three  lalaki  on  the  uplands. 
Stalked  them  to  within  one  hundred  and  eighty  yards  by 
means  of  a  useful  little  gully.  The  moon  was  low,  and 
there  was  just  the  first  faint  glimmerings  of  pink  in  the 
east.  Things  were  very  dim  and  indistinct,  and  quiet. 
Luckily  what  wind  there  was,  was  in  my  favor.  I  was 
kneeling  in  a  sort  of  little  bog  or  swamp,  in  which  a  slug- 
gish stream  was  flowing.  I  put  up  the  night-sight  on  my 
express,  and  then,  "  biff  "-at  the  first  one;  "  bang  "-at 
the  second.  Snatching  another  rifle  from  the  gun  bearer, 
I '  *  biffed  ' '  again  at  the  second,  and  then  took  a  ' '  bang  ' ' 
at  the  last,  for  luck,  as  they  vanished  over  the  crest  of  the 
hill.  No  corpses.  We  went  up  to  the  spot  and  peered 
about  for  some  twenty  minutes,  but  could  find  no  blood. 
I  could  see  that  all  the  natives  were  disgusted  with  me. 
*  *  At  last, ' '  they  seemed  to  be  saying,  * '  after  all  this 
hard  work  we  offer  him  a  shot,  and  what  does  he  do  ?  He 
misses!"  I  felt  very  much  ashamed  and  didn't  dare 
look  them  in  the  eye,  but  had  a  sneaking  idea  that  I  had 
hit  one  all  the  same,  and  told  them  to  keep  on  looking  till 
daylight,  so  as  to  make  sure  whether  I  had  hit  one  or  not. 
At  six-fifteen  a  joyful  shout -which  sounded  good  to  me- 
from  one  of  the  trackers,  announced  that  he  had  discov- 
ered blood.  I  could  have  kissed  him !  It  was  a  mere  fleck, 
though,  and  I  was  afraid  I  had  only  scratched  the  rascal. 
However,  I  was  glad  to  think  I  hadn't  altogether  missed. 
We  followed  the  trail  over  the  crest  of  the  hill,  and  cau- 
tiously down  into  a  thick  patch  of  jungle  on  the  other 


SINAGAR  297 


slope,  as  a  wounded  banteng  is  apt  to  be  nasty.  The 
tracker  saw  it  first  and  raised  a  wild  whoop  of  childish 
glee.  There,  not  more  than  one  hundred  yards  from  the 
edge  of  the  jungle,  lay  the  great  beast  (five  feet,  two 
inches  at  the  shoulder).  It  turned  out  to  be  Mr.  Lalaki 
Number  Two,  and  he  acknowledged  two  billet-doux  -  one 
clean  through  the  thick  of  the  neck,  and  a  raking  shot 
which  entered  on  the  bias,  just  ahead  of  his  hind  quarter, 
and  which  we  later  found  lodged  near  his  forward  shoul- 
der. The  men  whipped  out  their  knives,  and  after  sol- 
emnly cutting  its  throat  (though  it  was  stone  dead  by 
this  time)  like  righteous  Mohammedans,  they  executed 
a  wild  war  dance  about  the  carcass.  I  then  had  all  the 
branches  and  vines  cut  away,  and  awaited  for  sunlight,  to 
take  a  picture -this  I  did  at  seven-fifteen.  At  seven- 
twenty  one  of  the  men  suddenly  raised  a  shriek  of  joy- 
he  had  found  the  track  of  another  lalaki,  and  here  were 
great  clots  and  splashes  of  blood,  No  meager  trail,  but 
a  generous  stream.  The  men  were  now  in  high  good 
spirits,  thinking  that  I  must  have  bagged  all  three.  Well, 
we  tracked  this  second  rascal  from  seven- twenty  in  the 
morning  till  six  in  the  evening,  and  though  he  shed  buck- 
ets of  blood,  we  didn't  come  upon  anything  resembling 
his  body.  About  noon,  though,  we  did  put  him  up  in 
thick  jungle,  where  his  tracks  and  a  pool  of  blood  showed 
he  had  been  lying  down,  and  I  dashed  madly  forward 
through  a  tangle  of  thorns  and  creepers,  hoping  to  get 
a  shot.  The  head-tracker  and  I,  in  fact,  raced  through 
the  forest  for  half  a  mile  after  we  had  ceased  to  hear  the 
brute,  but  got  nothing  for  our  pains  but  scratches.  I  kept 
the  men  hard  at  it,  as  I  want  to  leave  tomorrow  as  per 
agreement  with  the  baron,  who  has  made  arrangements 
for  the  carriages,  horses,  etc.  Some  places  where  the 
wounded  banteng  had  tramped  about  and  broken  things 
down,  or  stopped  to  rest  and  bled  a  good  deal,  looked  like 
a  scrimmage  on  the  fifteen  yard  line.  I  felt  pretty  sure 
of  him,  because  most  of  the  blood  was  on  the  right  side 


298  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

of  the  trail,  whereas  I  had  fired  at  his  left  side,  some- 
where behind  the  shoulder,  and  this  showed  that  the  bul- 
let-a  steel,  as  he  has  a  tough  skin -had  gone  clean 
through.  There  were  no  bubbles,  however,  to  indicate  a 
wound  in  the  lungs,  but  as  the  tracker  and  the  other  men 
all  seemed  confident  that  I  had  finished  him,  I  told  the 
man  in  charge  of  the  preserve -Herr  Olive -to  keep  his 
weather  eye  open,  and  if  he  should  come  across  the  body, 
to  ship  the  horns  to  me  at  my  home  ' '  neath  the  starry 
flag."  This  has  been  the  hardest  day's  work  of  all.  and 
I  was  certainly  tired  when  I  reached  camp.  I  paid  off 
and  rewarded  the  men,  and  packed  up.  The  banteng  stew 
I  had  tonight  was  delicious,  beyond  my  wildest  dreams, 
and  as  for  the  broiled  steak -well,  if  I  could  dream  of 
things  like  that,  I  'd  go  straight  to  bed  and  stay  there  for 
the  rest  of  my  days.  After  dinner  I  took  a  bath  and  then 
strolled  out  under  the  wonderful  full  moon,  and  chanted 
forth  the  lovely  Abendslied  by  way  of  farewell  to  the 
jungle. 

SINGAPORE,  July  30. 

I  mounted  my  horse  and  started  at  seven  o'clock  upon 
the  morning  after  the  slaying  of  the  banteng,  and  made 
Valouran-the  first  stage  to  Sinagar-by  two-thirty.  It 
was  a  lovely  ride,  and  I  enjoyed  it  very  much.  The  native 
sultan  not  only  sent  me  over  an  elaborate  banquet,  but  he 
came  to  call  on  me  at  the  rest-house  in  full  regalia  that 
evening,  with  all  his  retainers  and  link-men.  I  was  rather 
a  failure  as  a  host,  as  I  could  hardly  understand  a  word 
he  said,  and  my  own  remarks  were  very  limited  in  range. 
He  took  me  by  surprise  in  a  very  negligee  costume, 
namely  an  undershirt,  a  pair  of  very  soiled  white  riding 
breeches,  and  slippers.  However,  I  gave  him  a  chair, 
cigars,  cigarettes,  and  a  drink,  and  grinned  like  a  Che- 
shire cat  whenever  we  were  either  of  us  at  a  loss  for 
words,  which  was  most  of  the  time.  The  next  morning 
I  started  at  six,  reaching  Sinagar  at  four,  and  immedi- 


SINGAPORE  299 


ately  had  a  refreshing  swim  in  the  pool.  Van  Heekeren 
was  not  yet  back  from  Batavia,  and  Van  Dyk  had  gone 
to  the  races  at  Bandong,  but  Van  Amerongen  made  me 
welcome.  The  baron  returned  next  day  and  was  delighted 
to  find  that  I  was  not  empty  handed.  I  decided  not  to  go 
to  the  races  with  them,  as  although  a  good  game,  it 
seemed,  from  what  they  said,  to  be  more  in  the  nature  of 
a  prolonged  spree  of  three  or  four  days  and  nights -all 
the  planters  coming  in  from  their  estates  on  pleasure 
bent  and  I  thought  I  could  put  in  my  time  more  pleas- 
antly and  profitably  in  the  mountains.  Perhaps  I  haven't 
told  you  before  that  I  have  mastered  the  durian,  that 
strange  fruit,  provocative  of  so  much  discussion.  This 
feat  alone  should  entitle  me  to  a  place  in  the  calendar,  to 
saw  nothing  of  my  having  eaten  the  various  outlandish 
national  dishes  in  many  lands,  from  raw  fish  and  chow- 
en-mushie  to  salt  and  sessamied  tea,  shark's  fins,  bird's 
nest  soup,  and  riz-taefel.  But  the  conquest  of  the  durian 
is  my  chef-d'ouvre.  Oh,  thou  rich  almond  custard !  Why 
doth  the  stranger  and  the  sojourner  in  the  land,  shun  thee 
as  they  would  a  pariah?  I  hail  thy  advent  with  childish 
glee. 

I  spent  a  couple  more  delightful  days  at  Sinagar,  do- 
ing a  bit  of  bird  shooting,  riding  and  strolling  about, 
swimming,  chatting,  and  swapping  yarns  with  the  baron ; 
and  then,  despite  kind  urging,  left  for  Garoet  the  morn- 
ing of  the  nineteenth.  The  next  morning  was  rainy,  so  I 
simply  loafed  about  the  hotel  and  the  little  hill  town,  and 
read  Jerome's  Idle  Ideas  in  1905,  feeble-minded  enough 
in  all  good  conscience.  It  cleared  beautifully  in  the  af- 
ternoon, so  I  went  up  to  a  lovely  little  lake,  set  among 
the  mountains.  There  was  a  toy  village  at  the  near  end, 
and  as  I  passed  through  this,  an  orchestra  of  small  boys 
started  a  quaint  little  melody  on  queer  bamboo  instru- 
ments. Little  girls  and  children  knelt  on  both  sides  of 
the  road,  presenting  me  with  flowers,  and  all  the  villagers 
were  out  in  gala  attire.  It  seemed  like  Fairyland,  or  the 


300  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

arrival  of  the  tenor  prince  in  a  comic  opera.  I  walked 
as  in  a  dream,  down  this  lane,  and  out  upon  a  bamboo 
pier  over  the  enchanted  lake.  A  dugout  moored  beside, 
served  for  the  proverbial  fairy  shallop,  and  I  stepped 
in  and  sat  down.  An  old  man  in  the  stern  dipped  his 
heart-shaped  paddle  into  the  pelucid  blue,  and  we  glided 
off  without  a  word.  I  knew  not  what  goal  we  were  steer- 
ing for,  but  somewhere  at  the  fonts  of  the  world  lay  the 
land  of  my  heart's  desire.  The  plaintive  music  floated 
along  after  me  across  the  still  waters,  and  through  it  I 
could  hear  the  l '  horns  of  elf -land,  faintly  blowing. ' '  Pres- 
ently we  approached  a  flowery  bank  and  I  sprang  out  to 
follow  a  winding  silvan  path,  up  a  little  knoll,  crowned 
with  a  vine-clad  summer  house.  I  fully  expected,  as  I 
peered  cautiously  in,  to  find  a  lovely  golden-haired  prin- 
cess, sound  asleep  on  a  bed  of  roses,  and  had  steeled  my- 
self to  do  my  duty  by  her  in  the  way  of  the  magic  kiss ; 
but  all  I  did  see  were  two  little  naked  brown  babies 
playing  with  pebbles  and  sticks  on  the  earthen  floor. 
Perhaps  they  were  enchanted  and  had  been  transformed 
into  these  shapes  by  some  wicked  wizard!  If  I  hadn't 
carelessly  left  my  conjurer's  wand  in  my  other  suit  of 
clothes,  who  knows  whom  I  might  not  have  released  from 
cruel  bondage -The  Beautiful  Lady  of  Dreams,  or  the 
Moon  King's  Daughter.  However,  if  I  had,  I  probably 
should  have  married  one  of  them  and  settled  down  in  that 
far  away  land,  and  never  have  come  home  at  all  -  so  per- 
haps it's  just  as  well.  At  any  rate,  the  view  from  this 
bower  was  perfect,  and  I  steeped  my  soul  in  it.  Then  I 
returned  to  the  village,  and,  seated  in  a  chair  of  state 
provided  by  the  head  man,  I  satisfied  the  inner  man  with 
cocoanut  milk,  while  the  band  played  on.  After  I  had 
finished  a  lazy  pipe,  I  rose,  distributed  some  largesses, 
gracefully  accepted  a  bouquet  from  a  particularly  pretty 
girl,  and  vanished  in  a  cloud  of  glory  (so  to  speak)  from 
the  adoring  gaze  of  the  people.  I  suppose  these  simple 


VAN  HEEKEREN'S  BUNGALOW,  SINAGAR.  JAVA 


THE  PIPES  OF  PAN 


SINGAPORE  303 


folk  are  still  wondering  whether  Lohengrin  will  ever  come 
again. 

I  drove  over  to  another  lake,  very  pretty,  but  situated 
in  Java,  not  Fairyland,  and  visited  some  hot  springs, 
which  a  German,  who  was  taking  the  baths  there,  ex- 
plained to  me  were  very  good  for  malaria,  rheumatism, 
and  yellow  fever,  all  of  which  I  believe  he  pleaded  guilty 
to  -  poor  chap !  The  next  morning  I  arose  at  three-thirty 
to  make  the  ascent  of  the  famous  volcano  of  the  Pappan- 
dajan.  It  was  a  splendid  climb  and  I  arrived  at  the  sum- 
mit with  a  trusty  guide  about  ten-twenty.  It  was  a  grew- 
some  sight -just  the  place  for  a  murder.  The  great 
crater  was  studded  with  small  vents  from  which  moment- 
ly were  forced  steam,  smoke,  fire,  ashes,  and  a  sort  of 
yellow  ooze,  which  I  took  to  be  lava,  though  it  was  differ- 
ent from  any  I've  ever  seen  before.  Add  to  this  that 
the  clouds  came  down  and  shrouded  the  mountain  top  in 
thick  curling  mist,  and  you  have  a  truly  weird  effect.  It 
reminded  me  of  the  death  of  De  Garcia,  on  the  summit  of 
Popocatepetl,  in  Eider  Haggard's  Montezuma's  Daughter. 

The  next  day  I  took  another  stiff  climb,  and  left  on  the 
morning  of  the  twenty- third  for  Batavia,  arriving  there 
the  same  evening.  The  great  fertile  plain  of  Leles,  which 
we  steamed  across,  confirmed  my  former  glowing  opinion 
of  its  beauty.  That  night  I  heard  a  splendid  symphony 
concert  in  the  magnificent  marble  Concordia  Club,  with 
friend  Farqueson.  .  .  I  spent  the  morning  in  the  very 
interesting  museum,  and  Mr.  Farqueson  came  down  to 
see  me  off  about  five.  We  stopped  at  two  small  islands  of 
the  Dutch  group,  whose  formation  and  life  looked  inter- 
esting, but  otherwise  had  an  uneventful  trip.  The  pas- 
sengers were  uninteresting  except  one  New  Zealander, 
who  had  spent  the  best  part  of  fifteen  years  in  Persia, 
and  told  me  a  good  deal  about  it.  I  certainly  regret  that 
land  of  rose  gardens  and  great  memories.  I  read  some 
of  W.  W.  Jacobs 's  delightful  sea  yarns,  and  Bourrienne's 
Memoirs  of  Napoleon  which  is  generally  considered,  I 


304  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

believe,  to  be  second  only  to  Boswell's  tome  (which  I 
waded  through  at  college)  as  a  biography.  There  was 
also  a  very  pleasant  and  amusing  Englishman  named 
Green,  on  board,  who  is  at  the  same  hotel  with  me  here, 
and  with  whom  I  take  my  meals  and  fool  about.  Some  of 
his  friends  have  put  us  both  up  at  the  clubs.  Singapore 
is  getting  quite  an  old  friend -this  is  my  fourth  call.  I 
made  a  few  necessary  purchases  here,  and  have  taken 
passage  on  the  first  ship  going  west  to  Colombo,  which 
sails  tomorrow  at  daybreak.  From  Colombo  I  shall  try 
to  get  to  Bombay  as  quickly  as  possible  -  either  by  boat  up 
the  Malabar  Coast,  or  overland  via  Tuticorin  and  Madras. 
There  is  no  regular  line  from  Bombay,  but  I've  heard 
there  is  a  sort  of  a  tramp  cargo  line -German  or  Portu- 
guese-which  runs  a  boat  down  to  the  east  coast  of 
Africa  every  two  months.  One  is  about  due  to  leave  the 
time  I  get  there.  If  I  miss  it,  however,  I  shall  get  a 
British  India  Mail  Boat  from  Bombay  to  Port  Said,  where 
I  can  catch  a  German  East  African  boat  to  Mombasa,  I 
had  to  have  one  of  my  rifles  repaired  here,  as  it  got  out 
of  order  in  Java.  It's  awfully  hard  to  keep  your  guns 
in  good  trim  out  in  this  damp  climate.  I  clean  all  of 
mine  every  two  or  three  days,  but  even  so  they  are  in 
none  too  good  condition.  I  expect  that  I  shall  find  some 
mail  awaiting  me  at  Colombo.  Your  loving  brother, 

AM. 

COLOMBO,  August  8. 

DEAR  MOTHER:  Just  a  few  lines  (as  nothing  has  hap- 
pened since  I  wrote  Phid)  to  thank  you  for  the  many 
letters  I  found  awaiting  me  at  Colombo.  I  believe  I  have 
them  all  now,  up  to  number  forty.  I  am  very  grateful 
for  all  the  details -it  brings  home  so  very  close.  I  am 
so  glad  Connie's  coming  out  reception  went  off  well,  and 
wish  I'd  been  there  to  do  my  devoirs. 

I  am  traveling  second  class  on  this  eight  thousand  ton 


one]  ON  THE  BOSOM  OF  THE  DEEP  305 

boat,  and  find  it  quite  fair ;  the  food  is  quite  good  enough, 
and  there  are  some  interesting  people. 

The  first  few  meals  after  I  come  home,  I  want  lots  of 
fresh  milk,  beef  steak,  roast  beef,  lamb,  and  turkey.  The 
milk  out  here  is  all  tinned,  the  mutton  is  all  goat,  the  beef 
all  pale  blue  buffalo  meat,  and  the  chickens  as  tough  as 
ostriches.  In  looking  over  my  mail  received  at  Colombo, 
it  is  curious  to  see  how  many  different  countries  are  rep- 
resented in  the  stamps :  two  from  Japan,  two  from  China, 
one  from  Java,  three  from  India,  one  from  Ceylon,  one 
from  Africa,  three  from  Germany,  one  from  France,  one 
from  England,  and  nineteen  from  the  United  States. 
Love  to  all  at  Shoreby  and  1369  Euclid.  Your  loving  son, 

AMASA. 

TOSSING  ABOUT  ON  THE  BOSOM  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP,  August 

8, 1908. 

DEAR  Liv:  Your  good  letter  sent  to  Calcutta  just  to 
hand,  for  which  much  thanks.  I  wish  I'd  been  present  to 
'  *  sing  a  song  or  make  a  funny  face  ' '  at  your  *  *  foundation 
party. ' '  If  you  want  a  picture  of  me  at  the  present  time, 
I  am  sitting  in  the  tiny  smoking  room  of  this  '  '  black  Bil- 
bao tramp, ' '  with  an  English  Tommy  Atkins  and  a  little 
Syrian  trader -the  only  passengers  who  are  not  seasick. 
The  ship  is  wallowing  about,  and  the  rain  is  driving  down 
in  sheets  -  the  twice-breathed  air  blows  damp  and  hot,  and 
my  clothes  mold  on  my  body,  while  those  in  my  boxes  are 
a  mess.  I'm  afraid  to  look  at  my  guns,  as  I  haven't 
cleaned  them  for  a  week.  However,  my  heart  is  blithe 
within,  for  I'm  now  headed  for  "  Afric's  golden  strand  " 
via  Bombay,  and  have  just  finished  reading  a  batch  of 
home  letters.  Nothing  has  happened  of  note  since  I 
wrote  Phid  a  considerable  epistle,  which  I  mailed  at  Sing- 
apore. Green  came  down  to  see  me  off  there -he  is  a 
mad  wag,  clever  and  easily  provoked  to  laughter,  and 
helped  to  make  my  three  days'  wait  at  Singapore  pass 
pleasantly.  On  the  boat  to  Colombo,  I  simply  chatted, 


306  EXTRACTS  PROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

studied  Swahili,  and  read  Thackeray's  Luck  of  Barry 
Lyndon,  Lytton's  The  Last  of  the  Barons,  a  fine  stirring 
tale,  and  Charlotte  Bronte's  Shirley,  a  bit  underdone. 
Before  reaching  Mombasa,  I  shall  have  been  considerably 
more  than  a  month  traveling  from  Batavia,  so  have  laid 
in  a  large  stock  of  heavy  literature;  Parkman,  Tacitus, 
Marcus  Aurelius,  Hazlitt,  Holmes,  Dickens,  Thackeray, 
Scott,  Dumas,  and  George  Eliot.  I  wish  you  would  send 
me  a  postal  immediately  after  the  Yale-Princeton  foot- 
ball game  to  T.  Cook,  Cairo,  and  one  right  after  the  Yale- 
Harvard  game  to  Credit  Lyonnaise,  Paris.  My  plans, 
of  course,  may  change,  but  the  way  things  look  now,  those 
ought  to  reach  me  about  right.  Among  other  things,  I 
found  at  Colombo  a  bully  invitation  to  come  over  and 
have  a  "  go  "  at  tiger  and  bison  with  G.  Eddy  (a  Yale 
man)  who  is  connected  with  the  Y.M.C.A.  in  southern 
India,  but  as  my  African  trip  is  the  summum  bonum  of 
my  desires,  I  must  pass  this  by.  If  anything  turns  out 
wrong,  however,  in  the  dark  continent,  I  will  still  have  it 
up  my  sleeve,  so  to  speak.  You  might  tell  General 
Mather  that  I  had  a  letter  from  him  and  have  duly  for- 
warded the  enclosure  to  Tamerlane.  I  am  enclosing  a 
short  business  note  from  an  oriental  "  genty,"  to  the 
general,  and  I  wish  you  would  see  that  he  gets  it. 

I  wonder  if  your  week  at  Keene  Valley  was  as  pleasant 
as  your  visit  there  three  years  ago,  and  mine  two  years 
ago.  Please  remember  me  kindly  to  Grace  and  all  the 
H's.  As  ever,  AM. 

TAJ  MAHAL  PALACE  HOTEL,  Bombay,  August  9, 1908. 
DEAR  FATHER:  The  occasion  for  this  hurried  line  is 
that  I  find  T.  Cook  and  Son  have  forwarded  to  you  the 
bill  for  packing  and  shipping  the  things  I  left  with  them 
to  be  sent  home,  and  the  heads,  skins,  etc.,  to  be  sent  to 
my  taxidermist  ( Fred  Sauter,  42  Bleecker  St.,  New  York 
City).  The  bill  was  first  sent  to  me  at  Colombo,  as  per 
my  instructions,  but  as  I  was  away  at  the  time,  shooting 


one]  BOMBAY  307 

or  something,  and  had  left  word  for  all  mail  to  be  held 
until  I  returned,  they  apparently  got  anxious  and  sent  it 
on  instead  to  you.  I  'm  very  sorry  for  this,  as  I  know  that 
you  don't  like  to  be  bothered  with  bills  -  especially  when 
they're  not  your  own.  I  thought  I  had  fixed  it  all  right, 
but  "man  disposes,  etc."  There  is  no  use  my  paying 
them  now,  as  you  have  probably  already  paid  their  New 
York  Office,  but  at  any  rate  I'll  let  you  know  that  it  was 
an  accident,  and  that  the  amount  should  be  Ks.  162,  6 
Annas,  or  about  fifty-five  dollars. 

I  Ve  had  a  busy  time  since  I  landed  here  at  five  o  'clock 
this  rainy  Sunday  afternoon.  First  I  had  to  clear  my 
luggage  at  the  customs,  then  find  out  whether  my  East 
African  boat  had  left  yet  (which  it  luckily  had  not)  get 
my  luggage  transferred  there  and  put  on  board.  Then  I 
looked  up  their  agent  at  his  rooms,  and  secured  a  passage. 
Next  I  looked  up  one  of  Cook's  clerks  in  his  lodgings  to 
settle  up  accounts,  at  the  same  time  finding  about  the 
above  mentioned  mistake.  I  also  learned  they  had  at  last 
found  my  long  lost  bag  of  hunting  clothes,  boots,  rubber 
coat,  binoculars,  telescope,  cartridge  belts,  laundry,  etc. 
The  poor  chap  was  having  a  siesta,  but  I  made  him  get  up 
and  dress  and  go  over  to  the  Y.M.C.A.,  where  another 
clerk  lived  who  had  the  keys  of  their  office  and  warehouse. 
After  half  an  hour's  groping  in  the  dim  warehouse,  spas- 
modically helped  by  glimmerings  from  the  lamp  borrowed 
from  our  hack,  we  found  it !  We  then  went  to  the  office, 
looked  up  the  charges  on  it,  which  I  paid,  and  at  last  I 
was  able  to  come  to  this  comparatively  fine  hotel,  which 
I  reached  at  eight-thirty.  I  had  a  good  dinner,  and  am 
looking  forward  to  a  hot  bath  in  a  tub,  and  a  good  sleep. 
Medical  inspection  on  board  my  boat  is  at  six  in  the  morn- 
ing. She's  a  queer  little  craft.  There  is  only  one  other 
passenger  -  a  Portuguese.  The  skipper  I  take  to  be  Dutch 
or  Danish -he  seems  a  jovial  old  salt.  He  expects  to 
make  Mombasa  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  August  (fifteen 
days)  touching  at  Goa  and  the  Seychelles  Islands.  The 


308  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

weather  is  unspeakable,  rainy,  windy,  and  hot.  How- 
ever, I'm  feeling  O.K.  Thanks  very  much  for  your  good 
letter  received  at  Colombo.  Your  loving  son,  AMASA. 

ON  BOARD  THE  GOOD  SHIP  KANZLEE,  August  14, 1908. 
DEAR  CON  :  As  we  puffed  officiously  out  of  the  impos- 
ing harbor  of  Bombay  on  the  murky  morning  of  the  tenth, 
the  sun  for  a  short  time  broke  through  the  heavy  rain 
clouds,  which  had  blotted  out  the  world  and  all,  and 
showed  us  a  glorious  spectacle.  It  was  Coronation  Day, 
and  the  hundreds  of  ships -mail  steamers,  coasting 
steamers,  gunboats,  tramps,  and  all  manner  of  native 
craft -in  the  harbor,  roadstead,  and  at  the  wharves,  were 
gaily  decked  with  flags  and  bunting,  as  was  also  the  city 
itself.  This  is  a  sturdy  (mind  you,  I  don't  say  steady) 
little  packet  of  eighteen  hundred  tons.  My  cabin  and 
the  little  snuggery  which  serves  as  saloon,  smoker  and 
dining-room,  are  aft  right  over  the  throbbing  propeller - 
which  is  pleasant !  So  far  the  weather  has  not  been  par- 
ticularly agreeable,  a  steady  gale  (the  end  of  the  south- 
east monsoon)  blowing  without  intermission,  heavy  seas 
and  frequent  squalls  of  rain.  The  very  first  afternoon  I 
was  rolled  out  of  my  chair,  shot  across  the  deck,  and 
brought  up  against  the  taffrail.  I  was  considerably 
struck  by  it.  On  picking  myself  up  I  noticed  that  a  leg 
was  broken -one  of  the  chair's,  I  mean.  My  Portuguese 
fellow  passenger  has  not  appeared  yet,  except  while  we 
were  still  in  the  harbor  of  Bombay,  and  while  we  were  at 
Goa,  but  I  have  managed  to  hold  my  own,  considerably  to 
the  surprise  of  the  captain,  who  spilled  a  plate  of  bean 
soup -I  think  it  was  bean,  at  least  that's  what  the  cook 
said  it  had  been -all  over  himself  and  the  doctor,  the  first 
night  at  dinner.  Since  then  we  all  hold  our  plates  in  our 
hands  -  that  is,  if  we  're  hungry.  I  say  ' '  all, ' '  meaning 
Nicholsen,  the  captain,  Schulz,  the  chief  engineer,  and  the 
doctor,  for  the  Portuguese,  as  I  remarked  before,  seems  to 
be  sensitive -we  haven't  decided  whether  about  us  or  the 


one]  STEAMSHIP  KANZLER  309 

weather.  The  captain  is  a  capital  little  fellow.  Although 
born  a  Dane,  he  is  a  German  subject,  and  speaks  the  Eng- 
lish language  without  much  accent.  He  is  well  read,  and 
talks  most  knowingly  upon  all  subjects,  including  religion 
and  philosophy,  which  I  have  avoided  as  productive  of 
too  much  useless  argument,  since  learning  that,  like  most 
Germans,  he  is  an  ardent  agnostic.  He  is  now  reading 
More  Tramps  Abroad  by  Mark  Twain,  an  author  whom 
he,  as  well  as  a  great  many  foreigners  I  have  met,  is  fam- 
iliar with.  He  is  also  acquainted  with  Cooper  and  Long- 
fellow, besides  many  English  authors.  I  lent  him  my  copy 
of  the  latter 's  complete  works,  and  it  makes  me  blush 
when  I  realize,  for  the  hundredth  time,  how  much  lower 
our  intellectual  Average  is  at  home,  than  in  Europe.  He 
says  he  has  read  Edgar  Allan  Poe,  translated  into  both 
Danish  and  French.  Here  we  have  the  captain  of  a 
tramp  coasting  steamer  at  home  in  at  least  four  lan- 
guages, talking  familiarly  about  men  and  cities,  phil- 
osophy, education,  and  science,  and  very  much  a  man  of 
the  world.  Of  how  many  of  his  lake  captains  can  father 
say  the  same  ?  He  comes  aft  every  afternoon,  and  plays 
with  me  a  new  game,  of  which  he  is  himself  the  proud  in- 
ventor, but  not  always,  I  say  it  reluctantly,  the  victor.  It 
is  a  sort  of  combination  between  shuffleboards  and  bil- 
liards, and  is  rendered  doubly  bewildering  by  the  strange 
angles  adopted  by  the  deck.  I  have  laughed  so  much  at 
the  captain's  witticisms,  jests,  and  stories  (not  to  mention 
some  of  my  own  irresistible  s)  that  I  am  fast  becoming 
fat  and  roly-poly.  Herr  Schulz,  the  chief  engineer,  is  a 
big,  ponderous,  pale-faced  Hamburger  -  pale-faced  sounds 
funny  for  a  German,  doesn't  it -with  whiskers,  which  are 
accentuated  at  meal  times.  At  all  discussions  he  insists 
on  saying  the  final  word,  but  does  not  succeed,  if  the  cap- 
tain or  I  can  help  it.  The  doctor  hardly  ever  contributes 
much,  except  as  to  the  weather,  upon  which  he  lavishes  a 
variety  of  adjectives.  He  doesn't  look  strong.  The  first 
officer,  whom  I  see  occasionally,  is  one  of  those  excessively 


310  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

merry  wags  who  talk  in  parables  and  use  gestures.  He 
spins  yarns  about  fights  with  sharks,  shipwrecks,  and 
dusky  belles. 

Goa  seemed  an  interesting  hole,  with  its  old  walls  and 
forts,  its  cathedral  and  general  air  of  decay.  There  was 
only  one  ship  in  the  harbor  of  its  little  port-town,  a  sad 
contrast  after  humming  Bombay.  Portugal  is  an  excel- 
lent, if  pathetic  example  of  ' '  How  are  the  mighty  fallen ! ' ' 
In  Portuguese  East  Africa  the  captain  tells  me  they  are 
not  so  far  inland  today  as  they  were  two  hundred  years 
ago.  The  few  troops  they  have  are  afraid  of  the  natives, 
and  they  are  yearly  losing  position  and  prestige.  If  they 
only  had  some  more  ardent  and  enterprising  spirits  like 
Balboa,  Vespucius,  Vasco  da  Gama,  Albuquerque,  Fer- 
nando Andrada  and  Alvarez  Cabral! 

Besides  reading,  I  am  studying  Swahili  and  Somali,  but 
it's  hard  to  get  languages  like  this  out  of  books,  so  much 
depends  upon  accent  and  inflection,  and  so  little  upon 
grammar.  All  I  shall  need  is  a  lot  of  useful  expressions, 
phrases,  questions,  commands,  and  a  fairly  ample  vocab- 
ulary-such as  I  had  of  Japanese,  Malay,  and  Hindustani. 

The  Seychelles  Islands,  of  which  Mahe  is  the  capital, 
must,  according  to  the  captain's  account,  be  a  sort  of  an 
earthly  paradise.  The  climate  is  very  * '  salubrious, ' '  there 
are  mountains  of  over  three  thousand  feet,  so  that  one 
can  keep  cool,  the  soil  is  rich,  the  scenery  lovely,  the  peo- 
ple happy,  healthy,  and,  for  the  east,  industrious,  and  it 
is  one  of  those  lands  of  the  Lotus  Eaters,  where  dance, 
proven§al  song,  and  sunburnt  mirth,  unite  with  the  phil- 
osophy of  the  simple  life,  to  help  the  folk  enjoy  things  as 
they  come.  It  is  the  land -and  the  only  land -where 
grows  that  celebrated  and  almost  mythical  fruit,  the 
cocoa-du-mere ;  it  is  surrounded  by  coral  reefs,  white 
beaches,  sea  foam,  blue  waters,  and  clear  skies ;  its  prin- 
cipal products  are  cinnamon  bark,  vanila,  copra,  and  tre- 
pangs.  Tre-pangs  are  queer  little  animals  found  on  coral 
reefs,  largely  in  the  South  Seas.  They  are  dried,  salted, 


one]  STEAMSHIP  KANZLER  311 

boiled,  pickled,  and  smoked,  and  then  shipped  to  China, 
where  the  epicurean  Celestials  eat  them,  I  am  told,  with 
great  avidity.  They  are  the  scavengers  of  the  earth,  and 
seem  to  relish  almost  anything.  The  first  colony  was 
founded  at  Mahe  long  ago  by  the  French,  in  a  curious 
way.  As  he  was  driving  through  a  quiet  street  in  his 
capital,  a  bomb  was  thrown  at  the  king  -  Louis  the  four- 
teenth or  fifteenth  or  fortieth  or  fiftieth,  or  some  of  those 
old  rascals.  The  would-be  assassin  was  not  observed,  so 
rex  had  everyone  on  the  street  arrested,  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  in  all -a  couple  of  nobles,  some  stout 
burghers,  a  gay  courtier,  a  fop  or  two,  a  sprinkling  of 
soldiers,  traders,  and  sailors,  spiced  with  a  few  pick- 
pockets, perhaps,*aand  some  useful  street  cleaners,  labor- 
ers, and  peasants,  all,  in  fact  who  happened  to  be  there  at 
the  time.  The  actual  criminal  was  never  detected  -  per- 
haps he  made  good  his  escape -but  all  these  poor  folk 
were  deported  to  the  Seychelles  Islands  (at  that  time  an 
uninhabited  group)  where  their  descendants  live  to  this 
day. 

They  imported  a  lot  of  negroes  from  Africa  as  slaves, 
whose  numerous  progeny  now  form  the  bulk  of  the 
population,  and  work  the  plantations.  When  the  Eng- 
lish took  the  islands  over  at  the  conclusion  of  their  war 
with  France  in  1760,  or  thereabouts,  it  was  some  years 
before  they  actually  took  possession.  The  story  was 
that  the  foreign  office  did  not  know  where  they  were- 
I  refer  to  the  islands.  Finally,  however,  a  small  corvette 
appeared,  a  midshipmate  and  six  jolly  jack  tars  pulled 
ashore,  hauled  down  the  Fleur-de-lis,  and  hoisted  the 
Union  Jack.  They  then  went  up  and  called  upon  the 
French  governor,  and  the  middy,  politely  raising  his  hat, 
or  pulling  his  forelock  (if  he  had  one),  told  him  that  if  he 
cared  to  stay,  the  British  government  would  take  it  as  a 
favor  if  he  would  continue  to  act  as  governor.  He  * '  was 
willin'  "  and  the  French  practically  continued  to  govern 
the  Island  for  the  British  for  another  century.  There  are 


312  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

very  few  English  in  the  group,  even  now,  and  all  the 
negroes  talk  a  sort  of  French  patois. 

Evenings  after  dinner,  the  captain,  the  chief,  and  I  sit 
about  the  binnacle  or  the  capstan  or  some  other  nautical 
place,  and  talk  about  cabbage  and  kings ;  mostly  in  Ger- 
man, to  improve  my  accent.  Last  night  it  was  very  inter- 
esting, mostly  about  Africa -the  great  men  who  have  fig- 
ured in  the  dark  pages  of  its  history,  the  mysterious  and 
romantic  exploits  and  emprises  which  have  therein  been 
achieved,  and  other  stories  of  fact  and  fancy.  They  are 
quite  familiar  with  the  lives  of  such  men  as  Stanley,  Liv- 
ingston, Gordon,  Emin  Pasha,  Dr.  Peters,  and  Slatin 
Pasha  -  shadowy  names,  for  the  most  part,  to  me.  One 
of  the  most  interesting  characters  he  has  told  me  about  is 
M.  Gateaux,  "  Blackbirder, '  '  wrecker,  convict,  and  a  one 
time  British  governor  of  the  Gloriosa  Islands.  Quite  a 
dramatic  career,  isn't  it?  I  should  like  to  be  able  to 
properly  write  up  the  lives  of  some  of  the  men  I  have  met 
and  heard  about  out  here  in  the  east.  They  may  not 
many  of  them  amount  to  very  much,  but  they  have  drunk 
deep  from  the  cup  of  life,  and  tasted  of  the  fruit  of  the 
Tree  of  the  Knowledge  of  Good  and  Evil.  Good  picking 
for  Eichard  Harding  Davis  and  writers  of  his  ilk. 

There  are  lots  of  flying  fish  about  these  seas -plump 
little  pieces -I  should  think  they'd  make  good  eating.  I 
would  snare  some,  except  that  this  isn't  the  moulting  sea- 
son in  the  tropics,  and  the  feathers  might  tickle  my  throat. 

MAHE,  SEYCHELLES  ISLES,  August  19. 

This  is  indeed  an  idyllic  spot.  We  are  lying  in  a  shel- 
tered harbor  close  under  the  beatling  cliffs  in  the  verdure 
at  whose  base  nestle  the  white  roofs  of  the  little  French 
town.  Coral  reefs  lie  so  thick  about  us  as  to  seem  to  stain 
the  placid  waters  of  the  bay  with  pink. 

The  poor  doctor  f  ainte'd  this  morning !  He  was  coming 
through  the  snuggery  to  take  a  bath  before  breakfast  in 
his  pajamas  where  I  luckily  happened  to  be  sitting.  (The 


one]  MAYE,  SEYCHELLES  ISLES  313 

more  I  read  over  this  sentence,  the  less  I  understand  ex- 
actly what  it  means.)  I  saw  him  stagger  up  against  the 
wall,  and  was  able  to  catch  him  just  as  he  collapsed.  I  was 
quite  alarmed  at  first,  thinking  it  might  be  heart-failure. 
However,  he  came  to  presently  with  the  help  of  cold  water 
from  a  handy  bucket,  and  after  taking  a  little  brandy, 
got  about  again.  He  insists  that  he's  all  right,  but  I 
don't  like  the  look  of  him.  As  there  was  small-pox,  chol- 
era, yellow  fever,  the  plague,  and  may  be  some  other  little 
things  thrown  in,  at  Bombay,  we  are  quarantined  here 
and  may  not  go  ashore.  All  the  cargo  we  discharge  is 
isolated  until  fifteen  days  have  elapsed  since  we  left 
Bombay.  Luckily  for  me,  it  takes  just  about  fifteen  days 
for  us  to  reach  Mombasa,  so  that  I  shall  probably  not  be 
quarantined  there.  But  as  we  have  a  couple  of  hundred 
Indians  contracted  to  work  on  the  Uganda  Railway, 
packed  like  sardines  up  forward,  I  wouldn't  be  surprised 
if  something  broke  out.  They  are  such  unhealthy  beg- 
gars! 

August  20. 

The  Indian  Ocean  sets  and  smiles 

So  sof,  so  bright,  so  bloomin'  blue, 

There  aren't  a  wave  for  miles  an'  miles, 

Excep'  the  jiggles  from  the  screw. 

A  beautiful  day  gives  me  hope  that  my  four  and  twenti- 
eth year  will  be  a  happy  and  a  well  spent  one.  As  there 
was  nothing  else  to  do  in  the  way  of  celebration,  except 
to  swim,  and  to  enjoy  the  bold  scenery  of  the  Archipelago, 
I  decided  to  be  serious,  and  so  besides  studying  my  Swa- 
hili  irregular  verbs,  I  read  the  Meditations  of  Marcus 
Aurelius,  Longfellow's  "Golden  Legend,"  and  the  Gospel 
of  Mark. 

August  23. 

Lost  a  man  overboard  last  night,  one  of  the  native  stok- 
ers, and  though  we  went  back,  were  unable  to  find  him.  I 
shall  mail  this  from  Mombasa,  where  we  expect  to  arrive 
the  day  after  tomorrow.  I  blush  for  the  scratchy  appear- 


314  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

ance  of  this  letter,  and  its  horrible  penmanship,  but  hope 
you  will  excuse  me,  as  even  this  is  perhaps  better  than  not 
writing  at  all.  Lovingly,  AM. 

MOMBASA  CLUB,  East  Africa,  August  27,  1908. 
DEAR  FATHER  :  I  have  been  put  up  at  this  pretty  little 
club  facing  the  ocean,  where  I  am  staying  while  arranging 
my  safari  to  start  up  country,  as  the  hotels,  to  put  it 
mildly,  are  less  comfortable.  I  have  met  a  lot  of  dandy 
young  chaps,  and,  as  in  most  small  places,  everyone  is 
very  cordial,  and  can't  do  enough  to  help  and  amuse  you. 
I've  been  hard  at  it  ever  since  landing  and  clearing  the 
Custom  House,  with  details  for  my  trip:  Having  my 
guns  registered  and  licensed,  getting  game  license,  set- 
tling terms  and  details  with  my  head-man  (through  an 
interpreter,  as  he  speaks  no  English,  and  my  Swahili  is 
not  yet  what  I  hope  it  will  be) ,  securing  a  cook,  boy,  track- 
ers, about  thirty  porters,  and  four  askaris  (native  sol- 
diers), which  last  is  a  government  requirement.  It  is  al- 
so encumbent  upon  me  to  furnish  all  of  my  men,  above  the 
rank  of  porter,  with  a  suit  of  khaki,  a  pair  of  boots,  and 
everybody  with  a  blanket  and  a  water  bottle,  and  a  small 
tent  for  every  eight  men.  Then  I  have  to  get  my  own 
outfit  (except  personal  kit  and  guns  which  I  brought  with 
me)  -tent  (a  chap  I  met  here  has  kindly  offered  to  lend 
me  one  which  will  be  a  saving) ,  bed,  mosquito  net,  chair, 
table,  tent-fly  (to  keep  off  the  sun  and  to  cook  under  in 
the  rain),  bath,  basin,  cooking  pots,  plates,  etc.,  axes, 
buckets,  hammer  and  nails,  rope,  needles  and  thread,  and 
the  thousand  other  things  which  such  a  trip  requires.  I 
found  by  talking  it  over  with  men  here,  who  have  done  a 
good  deal  of  hunting,  that  the  list  I  had  already  made  out 
(from  the  books  I  had  read,  letters  to  hunters  at  home  to 
whom  I  had  written  for  information,  and  talks  I  had  had 
with  chaps  like  Phipps,  Whitehouse,  Colby,  Robinson, 
Delme-Badcliff,  etc.)  was  about  right.  I  worked  on  the 
principle  of  putting  down  all  good  suggestions,  and  things 


one]  EAST  AFRICA  315 

which  occurred  to  me  from  my  own  experience  in  Canada, 
New  Brunswick,  Mongolia,  Formosa,  the  Shan  States, 
India,  Ceylon,  and  Java,  and  then  striking  out  all  except 
such  as  seemed  indispensable.  Am  having  a  medicine 
chest  for  self  and  men  made  up  here  at  a  chemist's.  I 
shall  pack  all  my  personal  effects  in  steel  boxes,  so  as  to 
avoid  the  inroads  of  white  ants.  About  the  biggest  job 
is  the  grub  question,  to  approximate  how  much  of  every- 
thing one  is  likely  to  need  on  a  ten  weeks'  trip.  Here  I 
find  the  hunting  notebook  which  I  kept  both  while  shoot- 
ing at  home,  and  since  I  have  started  on  this  trip  around 
the  world,  give  me  a  great  deal  of  valuable  information. 
Having  finally  settled  this,  I  have  had  boxes  made  with 
locks,  each  to  hold  about  fifty-five  pounds  of  food  -  enough 
for  two  weeks.  I  then  re-divided  everything,  putting  so 
much  tea,  flour,  rice,  salt,  bacon,  biscuits,  etc.,  in  each  box. 
I  don't  know  how  this  scheme  will  work  out  in  practice,  it 
may  prove  a  nuisance,  but  will,  I  think,  save  the  necessity 
of  opening  every  box  at  every  camp. 

I'm  going  up  country  to  Nairobi  by  rail,  where  I  shall 
have  a  talk  with  some  people,  who  being,  so  to  speak,  on 
the  spot,  can  advise  me  as  to  which  sections  of  the  coun- 
try are  likely  to  be  fullest  of  game,  at  this  time  of  year. 
I  may  pick  up  a  few  goats  to  act  as  bait  for  lions,  but 
except  for  this,  do  not  expect  to  have  any  animals  in  my 
outfit  -  the  tsetse  fly  making  ponies  and  even  mules  very 
doubtful  possessions.  My  personal  boy,  Salim  Saliman, 
talks  a  little  English,  and  I  am  polishing  up  my  Swahili 
with  him.  The  book  I  was  studying  on  the  boat  was  pub- 
lished in  Zanzibar  thirty  years  ago,  where  the  dialect  is 
a  little  different  than  it  is  here  on  the  coast.  Swahili  is 
a  sort  of  Lingua  Franca  all  along  the  East  Coast  and  in- 
land to  a  certain  extent.  It  is  sort  of  combination  of 
Arabic  and  several  African  dialects,  with  here  and  there 
a  Portuguese  or  Indian  derivative  thrown  in.  And  now 
I've  got  some  bad  news  for  you,  I  have  no  films  for  my 
kodak!  What  an  opportunity  for  interesting  snaps 


316  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

missed.  The  few  films  I  had  left  are  now  out  of  date,  and 
I  had  hoped  to  get  more  at  Bombay,  but  as  I  arrived  there 
on  a  Sunday  afternoon,  when  stores  were  closed,  and  left 
at  six  o'clock  Monday  morning,  I  had  no  opportunity, 
and  there  are  none  here.  My  only  chance  is  a  stray  film 
or  two  at  Nairobi,  but  it  is  a  slim  one. 

Personally,  I'm  feeling  quite  all  right,  but  a  bit  soft 
from  loafing  on  shipboard  so  long.  However,  as  I  intend 
to  strike  for  the  highlands  first,  where  it  is  quite  cool,  1 
shall  soon  be  fit  enough.  This  will  also  give  me  a  chance 
to  get  acclimated  where  it  is  healthy,  and  enable  me  to 
strike  the  hot  plains  and  jungles  in  better  trim  to  resist 
fever.  You  would  be  amused  if  you  could  see  me  now,  as 
I've  had  my  head  shaved  like  a  convict.  I  am  enclosing 
four  stamps  which  I  saved,  thinking  Philip  might  like  them, 
from  Perak,  the  Philippines  (while  they  were  still  Span- 
ish) ,  Netherlands  India,  and  the  Federated  Malay  States. 

August  28. 

Well,  everything  seems  to  be  ready  at  last,  I've  been 
ceaselessly  busy  the  last  three  days,  but  am  pretty  well 
satisfied  with  the  results,  as  I  feared  it  would  take  me 
longer.  I  hope  that  when  I  get  out  on  the  trek  I  shan't 
find  I've  forgotten  any  of  the  indispensables.  I  leave 
for  Nairobi  by  rail  this  morning  at  ten.  There  I  shall 
pick  up  fifteen  more  porters,  making  my  force  as  follows : 

1  Head  man       .  .  .  .  .  1 

2  Trackers  and  gunbearers      .  .        .    .  2 
1  Cook  and  cook's  assistant  to  cook  for  the 

men                                                  ,   ,     ..*•.•..•  2 
1  Tent  boy        .            .            -          ..-  ,       •.  1 
4  Askaris           ..       -  ,.          > ,.-;        «,;;      .;>^v  4 
15  Swahili  porters  and  15  additional  of  vari- 
ous tribes  to  be  engaged  at  Nairobi          .  30 

40 

There  are  no  Somalis  here,  but  I  may  get  one  in  Nairobi, 


one]  MOMBASA  317 

in  place  of  one  of  my  gunbearers,  as  they  stand  by  one 
better,  at  a  pinch -or  have  that  reputation.  I  under- 
stand, however,  that  they  are  also  inclined  to  boss  the 
hunting  job.  I've  given  Smith,  McKenzie  and  Company, 
your  address  in  case  of  accident.  Hoping  you  are  all  well 
at  home,  your  loving  son,  AMASA. 

MOMBASA,  August  28,  1908. 

DEAR  MOTHER:  Just  a  line,  as  I've  written  father. 
The  coloring  in  the  enclosed  picture  is  not  overdone -on 
the  contrary,  as  the  Irishman  said  when  the  steward 
asked  him  if  he  had  dined.  The  air  is  clear,  and  every- 
thing stands  out  sharply  in  the  intense  quivering  light; 
shadows  are  accentuated,  and  tints  glorified;  crimson, 
purple,  and  orange  trees  and  flowering  vines  blaze  away 
in  barbaric  splendor,  and  the  golden  greens  of  the  palms 
and  bamboos  throw  a  magical  sheen  over  all.  The  streets 
are  narrow  and  crooked  and  white,  with  low  carved  Moor- 
ish doorways,  and  overhanging  balconies.  Most  of  the 
people  show  up  well  in  white,  too -with  their  black  shin- 
ing skins,  and  glowing  red  fezes,  but  every  now  and  then 
someone  turns  a  corner  in  a  flamboyant  scarlet  or  green 
that  makes  you  catch  your  breath  with  joy.  This  is  a 
slumbrous  little  town,  redolent  of  the  past.  There  is  a 
big  cairn  of  stones,  which  was  built  by  Vasco  da  Gama, 
to  commemorate  the  peace  which  he  patched  up  with  the 
native  sultan  after  a  treacherous  assault  they  made  upon 
him  when  he  landed  here  early  in  the  sixteenth  century, 
on  his  voyage  of  circumnavigation.  Mombasa  was  of 
much  greater  importance  in  the  seventeenth  and  eight- 
eenth centuries,  with  the  rich  trade  of  ivory  and  slaves 
from  the  interior,  than  it  ever  has  been  since.  It  was  the 
battle-ground  for  the  rival  Arab,  Portuguese,  and  Dutch 
traders,  and  the  old  Portuguese  fort,  whose  imposing  ruins 
are  still  buffeted  by  the  incoming  tide,  was  captured  and 
recaptured  at  least  half  a  dozen  times.  The  land  of 


318  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

Ophir,  to  which  Solomon  and  Hiram  of  Tyre  sent  their 
galleys,  is  situated  somewhere  about  here,  and  the  Moun- 
tains of  the  Moon  are  in  the  interior,  northwest  of  Ny- 
anza ;  the  highest  peaks  of  them  now  known  as  the  Ruwen- 
zori  were  recently  climbed  for  the  first  time  by  the  Duke 
of  Abruzzi,  of  Elkins  fame.  The  earliest  records  of  Zan- 
zibar, Mombasa,  and  the  East  Coast,  are  to  be  found  in 
the  * '  Periplus  ' '  of  Hanno,  that  curious  maritime  docu- 
ment, one  of  the  few  things  which  has  come  down  to  us 
from  ancient  Carthage.  Ptolemy,  an  historian  of  un- 
doubted reputation  and  great  accuracy,  speaks  of  '  *  Mom- 
bas  ' '  and  gives  a  detailed  account  of  several  voyages 
down  the  East  Coast.  The  British  have  therefore  simply 
re-awakened  a  country  which  was  well  known  and  of  great 
wealth,  even  in  Biblical  days.  I  wish  I  had  more  time  to 
enjoy  this  place  quietly.  I  am  very  fond  of  the  late  after- 
noons, after  a  busy  day,  lounging  on  the  club  porch  with  a 
friend  over  a  cup  of  tea,  looking  out  across  the  palm- 
fringed  bay.  However,  the  strenuous  call  of  the  jungle 
allures  me,  and  I  am  off.  With  a  great  deal  of  love, 

AMASA. 

FOKT  HALL,  September  13,  1908. 
DEAR  FATHER: 

You  will  be  pleased  to  know  that  I  am  not  alone  now, 
as  I  have  got  an  old  ivory-hunter,  Leslie  Tarleton,  with 
me.  He  has  been  in  Africa  a  long  while,  and  is  now  en- 
gaged in  business  in  Nairobi,  running  government  sup- 
plies and  transit,  buying  and  selling  cattle,  outfitting  ex- 
peditions with  porters,  holding  auctions,  buying  ivory, 
etc.  He  is  a  very  experienced  chap,  and  a  most  pleasant 
companion.  .  .  How  long  we  shall  be  together,  I  don't 
know,  but  probably  for  some  weeks,  and  possibly  another 
month.  He  is  very  anxious  to  get  elephants  for  the  sake 
of  the  ivory  as  a  marketable  commodity,  and  as  I  am 
equally  anxious  to  get  a  good  one  as  a  trophy,  it  will  ben- 


NAIROBI  319 


efit  us  both  to  hunt  them  together.  So  far  I've  not  had 
much  luck,  but  have  not  been  in  the  best  game  country 
yet,  as  I  have  spent  all  my  time  so  far  looking  for  buf- 
falo, which  I  have  not  yet  got.  I  have  seen  a  good  many 
buffalo,  but  no  good  heads,  and  as  you  are  only  allowed 
one,  I  want  a  good  one  if  possible.  We  are  now  going 
around  the  spurs  of  Kenia,  and  shall  strike  up  north  of 
that  great  mountain  to  what  is  reputed  good  game  coun- 
try. I  had  to  shoot  a  rhino  which  charged  me  unexpect- 
edly out  of  long  grass  at  about  thirty  paces.  Luckily  I 
had  time,  as  he  wheeled  towards  me,  to  slip  in  steel  bul- 
lets. I  am  very  sorry  to  have  had  to  kill  him,  however, 
as  he  had  a  poor  horn,  and  I  am  only  allowed  two.  I 
have  weakened  and  bought  a  pony,  as  has  Tarleton,  as 
you  can  cover  so  much  more  ground  on  one,  but  find  in 
spite  of  what  seem  like  luxuries  to  me,  that  I  have  what 
is  considered  here  an  extraordinarily  small  and  light 
safari.  For  instance,  I  met  here  three  German  sports- 
men who  have  one  hundred  and  thirty  porters,  thirty 
mules  (carrying  the  loads  of  sixty  porters),  four  tents, 
and  gun-bearers,  tent  boys,  food  and  drink  and  outfit  ad 
lib.,  whereas  we  have  one  tent  and  thirty-two  porters 
for  the  two  of  us.  Am  feeling  very  fit.  Please  excuse 
paper  and  the  use  of  pencil. 

I  am  sending  this  back  by  special  runner,  and  you  must 
not  expect  to  hear  from  me  again  until  I  get  out,  but  re- 
member that  "  no  news  is  good  news."  Love  to  all, 

AM. 

NAIROBI,  November  11,  1908. 

DEAR  Liv:  Much  thanks  for  your  three  good  let- 
ters. .  .  I  see  that  in  your  letters  you  wonder  if  I  am 
keeping  track  of  the  people  I  have  met  in  different  places, 
outfitters,  guides,  shikaris,  consuls,  etc.  I  can  reassure 
you  on  that  point,  and  flatter  myself  that  I  adopted  from 
the  very  start,  a  unique  and  practically  useful  notebook 
scheme  for  it.  I  also  note  your  questions  about  my  Cey- 


320  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

Ion  elephant.  I  didn't  get  the  feet,  because  they  rotted; 
the  tail  I  had  to  give  up  for  identification,  as  the  beast 
was  a  proscribed  rogue,  the  skull  (a  usual  trophy,  and 
often  set  up  as  a  table)  I  reckoned  was  too  big  and  heavy 
to  bother  about,  and  lastly,  the  Cingalese  elephants  do  not 
have  tusks -or  rather  a  few  have,  but  the  government 
wishes  to  protect  these,  so  there  is  a  heavy  fine  for  shoot- 
ing them,  and  no  licenses  are  granted.  As  the  result,  I 
have  no  trophy  at  all  of  that  exploit -but  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  I  don't  much  care,  as  the  rascal  I  got  here  has  excep- 
tionally good  tusks  -  about  five  and  one-half  feet  long,  and 
weighing  sixty-eight  and  seventy-five  pounds  -  and  his  feet 
are  much  larger  and  better  than  the  others.  I  couldn't  af- 
ford to  have  more  than  two  feet  mounted,  anyway. 

I'll  not  say  much  about  my  trip,  as  I've  kept  a  very 
full  diary.  I  got  two  lions  and  two  lionesses,  one  of 
which  put  up  a  rather  pretty  fight.  Tarleton  got  a  leop- 
ard, and  three  lionesses,  one  of  which  charged  like  steam, 
though  badly  crippled.  It  was  the  finest  sight  I  think 
I've  ever  seen.  My  buffalo  put  up  the  best  fight  of  any- 
thing we  got,  or  indeed  of  any  buffalo  which  either  T.  or 
I  have  ever  heard  of -charging  twice  in  long  grass  and 
taking  fourteen  bullets  from  express  rifles,  twelve  of 
which  were  in  the  vitals,  before  he  fell.  He  was  a  whop- 
ping big  monster,  five  feet,  six  and  one-half  inches  at  the 
shoulder,  and  has  a  very  nice  head.  T.  also  has  a  good 
buffalo,  which  proved  a  bit  nasty.  I  also  bagged  a  ger- 
enuk-a  very  rare  antelope -a  cerval  cat  (about  the  size 
of  a  Canadian  lynx),  three  wild  boar,  three  rhino  (though 
we  saw  about  one  hundred  and  some  gave  us  ticklish 
moments,  having  to  be  driven  off  with  hot  lead  in  thick 
scrubby  country,  as  you  are  only  allowed  two),  an  aard- 
wolf,  crocodiles,  eland,  two  oryx,  and  about  ten  varieties 
of  smaller  antelope  and  gazelle.  As  I  told  father,  we 
spent  so  much  time  looking  for  what  we  most  wanted, 
elephant  (T.  got  none,  by  the  way),  buffalo,  and  gerenuk 
(T.  got  two)  that  our  bag  is  not  very  large -but  it  is 


one]  NAIROBI  321 

good,  particularly  so  in  lions.  For  though  a  few  parties 
have  brought  back  more  during  the  last  ten  years  or  so, 
they  have  either  had  more  guns  or  been  out  longer. 
Phipps  and  Havemeyer  got  three  in  three  months,  and 
people  are  still  talking  about  it.  The  biggest  bag  I  know 
of  was  thirteen,  procured  by  T.  himself,  and  a  pal,  in  a 
four  months'  trip.  T.,  by  the  way,  has  now  accounted  for 
twenty  lions  during  Ms  fifteen  years  in  Africa.  Another 
party  of  three  guns  got  ten  in  five  months.  Three  Ger- 
man nobles  got  ten  in  six  months.  Another  party  of 
three,  eight  in  four  months,  and  Dr.  Rainsford,  an  Amer- 
ican who  is  just  back  here  now  from  a  four  months'  shoot, 
and  three  other  ^uns,  have  eight.  We  got  our  seven  in 
ten  weeks  -  not  bad,  that.  Also  they  were  in  thick  bushy 
country,  the  hardest  place,  as  you  can't  gallop  them  and 
then  shoot  them  down  in  the  open,  which  is  the  safest 
method.  I  also  badly  wounded  another  leopard -but  lost 
him  in  long  grass,  though  I  poked  about  in  it  for  two 
hours  till  I  lost  his  blood  spoor.  I  think  he  must  have 
gotten  up  a  tree,  unbeknownst  to  me.  I  am  now  going 
oft  alone  to  the  low  country,  after  lesser  kudu,  sable  (the 
two  rarest  and  most  beautiful  antelope  in  Africa,  next 
to  the  greater  kudu,  which  one  cannot  shoot  in  B.E.A. 
now,  as  the  only  district  in  which  they  are  found,  the 
JBaringo,  is  closed),  hippopotamus,  and  an  off  chance  at 
a  lion.  Remember  me  to  Grace.  Au  revoir  till  Christ- 
mas. AM. 

A  long  letter  to  Samuel  Mather,  Esq.,  written  from  Nairobi, 
November  eleventh,  lost. 

NAIROBI,  November  11,  1908. 

DEAR  MOTHER:  This  is  just  a  short  line,  as  I  have  al- 
ready written  father,  Liv,  and  Con  today,  to  thank  you 
for  your  many  good  letters  which  I  have  received  up  to  the 
glorious  numerals  forty-four.  .  . 

As  regards  myself,  I'm  in  tip  top  shape  now,  and  have 


322  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

been  most  of  the  trip.  I  had  a  touch  of  dysentery  and 
some  fever,  but  that's  all.  Tarleton  was  rather  bad  with 
dysentery  for  a  while,  and  felt  very  slack  much  of  the  time, 
not  going  out  of  camp  for  several  days,  but  is  also 
quite  right  again  now.  He  is  a  splendid  chap,  a  wonder- 
ful shot,  and  proved  a  most  pleasant,  helpful,  staunch, 
and  merry  companion.  His  knowledge  of  the  language, 
experience  in  safari  travel,  and  thorough  reliability,  made 
the  trip  much  smoother  than  it  might  have  been,  in  fact, 
except  for  a  few  experiences,  which  I  wouldn't  have 
missed,  and  a  couple  of  bad  nights  when  we  were  lost, 
the  safari  went  admirably.  Am  enclosing  a  letter  for 
Phid.  Love  to  all,  your  loving  son,  AMASA. 

DEAR  PHID:  Thanks  for  your  good  letter.  This  in  re- 
ply will  be  just  a  short  line,  as  I '11  be  coming  home  on  the 
next  boat,  and  will  see  you  by  Christmas.  How  fine  it 
will  be  to  eat  a  real  live  turkey  again -though  I  must 
confess  that  roast  bustard  tastes  remarkably  like  turkey, 
and  that  guinea  fowl  closely  resembles  chicken -and  good 
food  in  general,  after  the  miserable  hotels  and  ships  of 
the  East.  I  shall  keep  the  cook  busy  for  a  day  or  two 
after  I  get  home !  Talk  about  your  fatted  calves,  I  shall 
want  a  bullock  to  fatten  mine  on ! 

I've  not  heard  a  word  from  Singleton  and  Doubleday 
lately.  I  suppose  they  have  succumbed,  poor  chaps,  you 
may  remember  I  rather  commented  upon  their  physical 
condition  in  a  former  letter.  There's  a  chap  down  in 
southern  Africa  called  Chaka,  who  wants  to  have  a  smack 
at  you -but  perhaps  you're  afraid  of  the  great  Zulu  em- 
peror? I've  got  a  new  yarn  for  you,  entitled  "  'Ow  Bill 
Hadams  Won  the  Battle  of  Waterloo,"  which  beats  "  The 
Gol  Darn  Indians  "  all  to  smash.  Remind  me  of  it.  As 
ever,  AM. 

NAIROBI,  November  12,  1908. 
DEAR  AUNTIE  KATE:    Just  a  short  line  before  break- 


NAIROBI  323 


fast,  as  I'm  starting  off  on  another  shoot  in  a  couple  of 
hours.     .     . 

This  is  a  most  glorious  country.  When  the  heavy  rains 
are  not  on,  one  gets  the  most  gorgeous  clear  sunny  days 
and  purple  glittering  nights  imaginable.  Nor  have  I 
minded  the  sort  of  weather  we  have  been  wading  through 
for  the  past  three  weeks  -  the  deluge  -  for  though  not  com- 
fortable, it  is  much  better  for  the  game,  especially  ele- 
phants. One  gets  all  varieties  of  scenery  in  B.E.A., 
which  is  a  pretty  big  place;  dense  tangled  tropical  for- 
ests, bare  open  treeless  deserts,  palm-fringed  rivers,  thick 
grassy  jungles,  thorny,  scrubby,  bush  country,  high  roll- 
ing, uplands,  reeky  snow-capped  mountains  -  while  the 
climate  varies  from  frost  and  hail,  such  as  we  had  at  a 
nine  thousand  foot  elevation,  to  unbearable  heat  and  hu- 
midity. Kenia  is  seventeen  thousand  odd  and  Kiliman- 
jaro, nineteen  thousand,  eight  hundred  feet.  Quite  a 
lumpy  country.  We  were  at  one  time  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  from  Nairobi.  Lots  of  love  for  you  and 
Uncle  Will,  your  affectionate  nephew,  AMASA. 

NAIROBI,  November  11,  1908. 

DEAR  CON:  Thanks  very  much  for  your  bully  letter, 
which  I  found  awaiting  me  here  on  my  return  from  the 
back  of  beyond.  I  observe  with  brotherly  pride  that  in 
your  epistolary  rivalry  with  me,  you  strive  more  along 
the  lines  of  quality,  than  mere  numerical  superiority. 
This  is  indeed  laudable !  .  .  . 

You  certainly  seem  to  have  been  having  a  glorious  good 
time  while  I've  been  away.  It's  not  so  bad  to  be  a  girl 
after  all,  is  it!  You  may  be  kept  in  your  chrysalis  a  bit 
longer  than  a  boy,  and  be  teased  by  your  naughty  big 
brothers,  but  think  how  much  more  glorious  a  butterfly  you 
make !  '  *  Gather  ye  rosebuds  while  ye  may,  old  time  is 
still  aflying ' '  does  not  seem  to  be  necessary  advice  to 
the  pippins  of  our  generation,  does  it?  You  say  you 
wonder  if  you  will  seem  changed  to  me.  I  imagine  so. 


324  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

The  bud  has  a  different  beauty  from  the  rose ;  but  1  as- 
sure you,  on  my  part,  that  you  will  scarcely  know  your 
staid  old  brother  when  he  fairly  gets  his  sleeves  rolled 
up,  and  his  nose  to  the  grindstone.  He  has  had  his  mo- 
ments and  his  thrills,  but  that  will  all  be  shoved  behind 
him 

Long  ago  an'  fur  away 

An'  there  ain't  no  street  cars   runnin'   from   the   Square   to 

Mandalay ; 

An'  he's  learning  here  in  Cleveland  what  the  ten-year  soldier 

tells : 

"If  you've  'eard  the  East  a'callin',  you  won't  never  'eed  naught 

else." 

No,  you  won't  'eed  nothin'  else  but  them  spicy  garlick  smells, 
An'  the  sunshine  an'  the  palm-trees  an'  the  tinkly  temple  bells. 
Your  loving  brother,  AM. 

MOMBASA,  November  27,  1908. 

DEAR  UNCLE  WILL:  Although  I  am  just  starting  for 
home  now,  you,  in  Ishpeming,  will  probably  get  this  letter 
long  before  I  see  you.  I  got  back  a  few  days  ago  from 
my  second  hunting  trip  from  Nairobi,  which  I  believe  I 
told  Auntie  Kate  I  was  about  to  start  on.  This  trip  was 
equally  as  lucky  and  successful  as  the  first,  except  that  I 
got  no  lions.  I  went  first  to  the  Athi  River,  where  I  got 
a  couple  of  hippo,  and  bagged  a  wildebeest  (a  large,  wild, 
and  shy  antelope)  on  the  plains  near  there.  Also  some 
hartebeest  and  other  things.  Then  I  pushed  on  down  to 
the  lowlands,  to  a  thorny  section  of  country,  near  M'toto 
Andei,  where  I  secured  two  lesser  kudu,  a  very  rare  and 
beautiful  buck.  Here  I  got  the  fever,  and  went  back  to 
Mombasa,  but  finding  it  equally  unhealthy  there,  I  bor- 
rowed a  hammock  from  some  missionaries,  and  was  car- 
ried out  to  the  Shimba  Hills.  I  there  recovered  sufficient- 
ly to  do  a  couple  of  days'  hunting,  and  with  great  good 
luck  secured  my  chef  d'ouvre,  a  sable  antelope,  the  noblest 
of  all  African  antelope !  The  country  was  very  beautiful 


one]  CAIRO  325 

about  here,  tropic  jungle  covering  rolling  hill  country.  I 
was  then  carried  back  here  again,  and  for  the  past  few 
days  have  been  in  Mombasa,  settling  up  my  affairs,  sell- 
ing my  outfit,  and  arranging  for  the  packing  and  ship- 
ment of  my  trophies,  which  will  not  be  in  shape  to  follow 
me  for  a  month  or  so.  I  have  been  fooling  around  with 
tennis  in  the  late  afternoons,  and  evening  parties,  with 
some  of  my  former  acquaintances  here,  and  two  delight- 
ful chaps,  Scott  and  Neilson  (of  the  Fourth  Hussars  - 
Queen's  Own),  whom  I  met  on  safari.  Neilson  is  leaving 
on  the  same  boat  with  me  tomorrow,  as  are  also  a  few 
other  friends.  It  is  the  French  Mail  from  Madagascar, 
and  is  full  up  with  officials,  their  wives  and  children,  go- 
ing home  on  leave.  I  expect  to  get  off  at  Suez,  run  up  to 
Cairo,  and  see  a  little  of  Egypt,  before  coming  home. 
Your  affectionate  nephew,  AMASA. 

CAIRO,  December  14, 1908. 

DEAR  AUNTIE  KATE:  A  cable  recently  received  from 
father,  tells  me  to  stay  on  here  and  meet  the  family  at 
Cannes,  in  February,  when  they  come  over.  I  have  not 
yet  decided  whether  to  do  so  or  not,  as  I  am  anxious  to 
get  home  to  work,  but  shall  write  you  anyway,  though  I 
may  arrive  simultaneously  with  this.  Our  voyage  up 
the  coast  was  calm  and  uneventful.  There  were  about 
eight  Englishmen  on  board,  and  we  formed  a  pleasant 
little  community  amidst  the  French  rabble.  Life  is  very 
gay  and  informal  on  board  the  French  boat,  and  they  got 
up  dances  on  deck  nearly  every  evening.  There  were 
some  dainty  demoiselles,  but  I  find  it  hard  to  woo  in 
French.  I  had  laid  in  a  good  stock  of  literature,  how- 
ever, and  spent  most  of  my  time  reading  and  chatting. 
There  is  one  chap  here  who  is  going  home  after  a  nervous 
breakdown.  They  thought  at  first  that  he  had  the  sleep- 
ing sickness,  from  which  no  one  has  ever  recovered,  but 
it  proved  to  be  something  else,  though  they  don't  yet 
know  just  what.  He  was  an  official  at  Entebbe,  and  told 


.326  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS 

me  that  when  writing  his  reports  he  would  often  become 
semi-unconscious,  and  go  on  writing  a  lot  of  gibberish, 
which  he  would  be  unable  to  control.  Often  he  would 
come  to  and  find  himself  doing  this,  but  was  totally  un- 
able to  stop  it.  We  met  no  ships  till  we  got  into  the  Bed 
Sea.  The  East  African  Coast  is  far  less  of  a  trade  route 
than  it  was  two  hundred  years  ago.  There  are  only  three 
lines  of  boats  plying  in  these  waters,  a  French  Mail,  run- 
ning once  a  month  between  Marseilles  and  Madagascar, 
a  German  line  to  Dar-es-Salaam  and  beyond,  and  a  line 
of  British  India  cargo  steamers  touching  at  all  points 
and  going  as  far  as  Capetown.  Our  only  stop  was  at 
Tjibouti,  a  little  French  colony  on  the  Bed  Sea.  This 
was  a  dilapidated  ramshackle  little  town,  with  a  few  fine 
public  buildings,  and  a  cluster  of  white  mud  houses.  It 
is  the  starting  point  for  the  Somali  Bailway,  which  they 
hope  will  eventually  reach  Addis  Abeba,  the  capital  of 
Abyssinia.  At  present  it  takes  about  twenty  days  car- 
avan journey  across  the  desert.  There  is  no  likelihood, 
however,  of  their  getting  that  far  in  the  near  future,  as 
King  Menelike  is  opposed  to  all  innovation.  I  got  off  at 
Suez,  Capt.  Neilson  continuing  on  to  Marseilles.  We  are 
planning  to  meet  again  in  London.  I  found  him  a  very 
pleasant  and  companionable  chap. 

I  have  been  doing  pretty  much  the  regular  sort  of  sight- 
seeing, absorbing  the  Egyptian  atmosphere,  and  educat- 
ing myself  to  appreciate  it  all  more  fully  at  some  future 
visit,  when  I  hope  to  have  more  time  at  my  disposal.  I 
have  seen  Cairo  and  vicinity  pretty  thoroughly,  the  pyra- 
mids, the  tombs  of  the  kings,  the  tombs  of  the  caliphs, 
Persepolis,  Memphis,  Baraj,  the  sphinx,  etc.,  visited  an 
ostrich  farm,  the  land  of  Goshen,  the  tree  under  which 
Joseph  and  Mary  are  supposed  to  have  rested  on  the 
Flight  to  Egypt,  and  other  guide-book  places.  If  I  stay 
on  here  in  the  east,  I  shall  probably  take  another  two 
weeks  in  Egypt,  go  up  the  Nile,  see  Luxor,  Phyle,  etc.  I 
shall  then  run  over  to  Palestine  and  spend  my  Christmas 


STEAMSHIP  LUCANIA  329 

in  Jerusalem,  which  should  be  very  interesting.  After 
two  weeks  there,  I  shall  cross  to  Athens,  and  see  as  much 
of  Greece  as  I  can  in  a  month,  then  do  a  little  southern 
Italy,  and  meet  the  family  at  Cannes  the  last  of  February. 
They  are  expecting  to  stay  there,  I  believe,  until  the  last 
of  May,  and  I  shall  put  in  the  interval  brushing  up  on  my 
French,  with  perhaps  a  few  short  walking  trips  with 
Philip  in  Switzerland  or  the  Dolomite  Country.  This 
sounds  very  good,  but  duty  whispers  low  "  thou  must " 
and  perhaps  I  had  better  return.  It  was  very  interesting 
to  have  seen  the  head  waters  of  the  Nile  in  East  Equato- 
rial Africa,  to  have  imagined  that  mighty  water-way 
flowing  swiftly  arid  silently  through  the  heart  of  the  Dark 
Continent,  and  then  to  have  come  here  and  to  have  seen  it 
again  in  all  its  broad  majesty  flowing  out  past  the  pyra- 
mids, and  into  the  Mediterranean.  The  Great  Canal  with 
its  busy  commerce,  is  a  sight  productive  of  much  specu- 
lation as  to  what  will  be  the  future  of  our  own  attempt 
at  Panama.  The  statue  of  the  Frenchman,  De  Lesseps, 
who  engineered  it,  with  his  outstretched  hand  pointing 
the  way  which  he  had  opened  from  the  Mediterranean  to 
the  Eed  Sea,  is  as  fine  a  memorial  as  a  man  could  wish 
to  have.  Roosevelt,  I  suppose,  is  as  much  responsible 
for  our  undertaking  as  any  other  one  American,  and  when 
successfully  accomplished,  it  will  be,  I  think,  one  of  the 
most  memorable  things  he  has  done. 
Your  loving  nephew,  AMASA. 

ON  BOABD  THE  GOOD  SHIP  LUCANIA,  Christmas  Day,  1908. 
DEAR  UNCLE  WILL:  Headed  for  home  at  last,  with  a 
bevy  of  pretty  girls,  but  most  of  them  seasick,  and  there- 
fore useless.  I  decided  to  return  shortly  after  mailing 
my  letter  to  Auntie  Kate,  and  caught  a  Mail  Steamer  the 
next  day  from  Port  Said,  which  took  me  over  to  Brindisi 
in  two  days.  The  boat  was  small,  twenty-two  hundred 
tons,  but  very  fast.  The  machinery  which  drove  us  at 
an  average  rate  of  twenty  knots  an  hour,  was  so  powerful 


330  EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  [Vol. 

as  to  make  the  boat  quiver  like  a  stricken  thing.  It  was 
impossible  to  read  or  write  during  the  whole  journey. 
We  ran  into  bad  weather  almost  immediately,  and  had  a 
very  rough  passage.  Except  for  a  young  German,  who 
smoked  villainous  cigars,  and  I,  who  am  hardened  by 
rolling  about  in  eastern  tramps,  o'er  typhooned  seas, 
nearly  everyone  was  seasick,  and  it  was  a  pretty  miser- 
able lot  that  crawled  ashore  in  the  rain  at  Brindisi.  The 
captain  had  done  some  Arctic  exploring  and  told  us  some 
fine  yarns.  At  Brindisi  we  connected  with  the  P.  and  0. 
special  mail  train  which  took  us  smack  through  to  Lon- 
don: up  the  east  coast  of  Italy,  through  Bologna,  across 
to  Turin,  and  over  the  Mont  Cenis.  Then  around  by  way 
of  Dijon,  skirting  Paris  to  Calais,  where  a  small  steamer 
took  us  over  to  Dover,  and  so  by  special  mail  train  to 
London.  The  scenery  along  the  whole  route  was  beauti- 
ful, but  especially  so  through  the  wintry  Alps.  This  cross- 
ing of  the  Alps  in  winter  is  quite  characteristic  of 
Hannibal,  Napoleon,  and  me.  At  London  I  stopped  at 
the  Eitz,  a  bully  hotel.  As  soon  as  I  arrived,  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  I  secured  passage  in  the  Lucania,  which 
was  to  leave  from  Liverpool  the  next  day.  Captain  Neil- 
son,  who  is  here  with  his  family,  came  around  about  seven, 
and  took  me  to  dinner,  a  theatre  party,  and  a  gay  ball, 
where  I  disported  myself  with  the  beauty  and  fashion  of 
London  on  light  fantastic  toe.  It  was  a  delightful  affair, 
and  I  enjoyed  it  the  more  whole-heartedly  as  being  still 
tanned  from  the  African  jungles,  if  I  may  say  so.  Neil- 
son  and  I  were  quite  the  lions,  I  assure  you.  I  turned  in 
at  four  in  the  morning,  and  was  up  at  six-thirty  to  pack. 
I  paid  visits  to  a  gunsmith  and  to  the  interesting  studio 
of  Eowland  Ward -who  is,  I  suppose,  the  best  taxider- 
mist in  the  world.  His  book,  Records  of  Big  Game,  should 
find  a  place  in  every  sportsman's  library.  At  twelve  I 
entrained  for  Liverpool  in  the  rain  (or  it  wouldn't 
have  seemed  England)  and  embarked  on  this  pala- 
tial residence  at  five.  Although  one  of  the  smallest  of  the 


one]  STEAMSHIP  LUCANIA  331 

line,  only  twelve  thousand  tons,  it  seems  a  palace  after 
the  boats  I  have  been  on  in  the  far  east.  "The  Hon'able 
Phil ' '  Operetta  Company,  Julia  Sanderson  starring,  is  on 
board,  and  by  dint  of  picking  her  up  from  many  falls  on 
the  slippery  deck  we  have  become  quite  chummy.  She  is 
one  of  the  few  actresses  who  are  prettier  off  the  stage 
than  on.  The  snow  on  deck  is  knee-deep,  and  we  are 
sheathed  in  ice,  and  I  who  have  no  winter  clothes  with 
me,  find  it  rather  chilly.  I  appeared  in  white  ducks  the 
other  day,  and  someone  asked  me  if  I  were  going  to  play 
tennis  on  the  bridge.  I  don't  know  whether  we  have  been 
having  a  rough  passage  for  this  time  of  the  year,  or  not, 
but  I  do  know  that  it  has  been  so  rough  that  the  racks  have 
been  on  all  the  way,  and  only  about  twelve  people  down  to 
meals.  I  am  getting  quite  excited  at  the  prospect  of  get- 
ting home  again.  There  is  to  be  the  usual  proud  dance 
tonight.  More  later. 

December  26. 

A  beautiful  day,  and  I  am  glad  that  so  many  English 
people,  who  have  never  seen  our  country  before,  will  do  so 
for  the  first  time  under  such  favorable  circumstances.  I 
have  just  come  down  from  the  upper  deck,  where  every- 
one is  clustered  in  frenzied  rapture  waiting  for  a  first 
glimpse  of  the  starry  flag.  There  has  been  a  pleasant 
fellow  named  Pfyf e  on  board,  with  whom  I  have  had  bouts 
at  chess,  piquet,  and  cribbage. 

Later. 

The  ragged  skyline  of  New  York  is  now  in  sight,  and  I 
can  no  more.  I  am  hoping  to  be  able  to  do  the  few  errands 
and  calls  in  New  York  which  are  necessary  in  time  to 
catch  the  five-thirty  tonight  for  Cleveland.  How  soon 
shall  I  see  you  there?  Your  loving  nephew,  AMASA. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK. 

1.  ON  LEAVING  HOME.  Two  things  chiefly  make  me  real- 
ize for  what  a  long  time  I  am  really  leaving  home.  First, 
when  I  said  good-by  to  Grandmother  Mather,  and  she  gave 
me  a  Bible  and  her  blessing.  It  is  more  than  likely  that  I 
shall  never  see  her  again,  and  she  has  taken  always  such 
an  interest  in  all  of  us,  and  thinks,  I  know,  so  lovingly  and 
so  much  of  us,  that  if  necessity  had  not  made  my  last 
visit  to  her  house  a  very  fleeting  one,  I  fear  I  should 
have  been  quite  unmanned.  As  it  was,  I  felt  a  keen 
wrench.  I  am  going  to  read  a  chapter  or  more  every 
night,  and  so  try  to  go  through  the  Bible  thoroughly  on 
this  trip,  which  will  give  me  a  chance  to  regard  the  whole 
work  as  a  literary  and  historical  production,  rather  than 
as  a  collection  of  inspired  writings.  I  hope  that  it  will 
at  the  same  time  serve  to  make  me  think  more  of  grand- 
mother and  those  at  home  and  to  be  careful  to  write  them 
all  very  often. 

The  second  was  Philip's  face,  as  the  Maritana  left  the 
dock  at  Cleveland,  and  he  stood  waving  good-by  with 
father  and  Constance.  I  could  see  in  his  expression 
what  a  gap  in  his  life  and  pleasures  my  leaving  for  so 
long  a  time  was  going  to  make.  The  first  showed  me  how 
long  I  was  going  to  be  away  from  home,  and  this,  the  more 
subtle,  how  lonely  the  home  circle  (already  broken  by 
Liv's  absence)  was  going  to  be  without  me.  It  made  me 
wish  that  I  had  made  better  use  of  my  opportunities  and 
done  more  for  Philip.  In  spite  of  the  pretty  large  dif- 
ference in  our  years,  we  ought  to  be  better  pals  than  we 
are,  but  I  have  been  away  so  much  during  the  past  four 


334  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK        [Vol. 

years  -  college,  hunting,  traveling,  and  visiting  during  va- 
cations, that  we  haven't  seen  much  of  each  other. 

These  two  points  of  view  on  the  "  going  away  "  ques- 
tion, made  me  realize  also  that  while  one's  true  friends 
won't  forget  one,  still  one's  niche  in  the  community  of  life 
will  be  pretty  well  grown  over  in  a  two  years'  absence,  and 
it  will  be  hard  work  clearing  it  out  again,  even  if  it  doesn't 
have  to  be  built  anew.  Many  of  the  old  friends  will  have 
wandered  away,  or  be  gone  forever,  and  there  will  be 
many  new  faces.  Hundreds  will  be  married.  However, 
with  Browning,  I  intend  to  greet  the  unseen  with  a  smile, 
and  get  the  best  I  can  out  of  the  next  two  years. 

We're  joining  hands  at  the  crossroads  now 

For  the  ways  of  men  must  sever, 

And  it  well  may  be  for  a  year  and  a  day, 

As  it  well  may  be  forever. 

2.  Juji  NAKADA.    See  Letters  and  Diary  for  July,  1907. 

3.  STEAMEE  LIFE.    After  the  rush  and  roar  of  final  ex- 
aminations, commencement  week,  breaking  up  of  a  four 
years'  establishment  at  New  Haven,  packing  for  a  year 
and  a  half's  wandering  over  the  face  of  the  globe,  and 
dashing  across  the  continent,  the  absolute  abandonment, 
quiet,  and  do-as-you-please  air  which  pervaded  the  snug 
Shinana  Maru  was  a  blessed  relief.     Except  when  I  was 
sick  with  typhoid  fever,  I  have  never  spent  such  a  lazy 
two  weeks  in  my  life -yet  the  time  passed  all  too  quickly. 
I  did  read  a  good  many  books,  novels,  history,  books  of 
travel,  sport,  and  poetry,  but  there  were  many  books  I  still 
longed  to  read,  had  time  only  allowed.     Our  own  party  of 
seven  was  sufficient  unto  itself,  but  we  soon  picked  up  a 
few  choice  kindred  spirits  to  add  to  our  circle  of  compan- 
ions and  spent  the  most  of  our  time  in  long  rambling  talks. 

The  round  of  our  delightful  days  was  somewhat  as 
follows :  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  usually  had 
a  cup  of  tea,  toast,  fruit,  and  a  cigarette,  followed  by  a 
hot  bath,  a  stroll,  and  breakfast  at  half  past  eight.  The 


one]  THE  SCARLET  WOMAN  335 

rest  of  the  day  was  spent  in  walking,  talking,  reading, 
playing  shuffle-boards,  quoits,  and  hop-scotch,  doing 
stunts,  boxing,  and  loafing.  In  the  evening  we  usually 
had  three  or  four  rubbers  of  bridge,  and  a  dish  of  beer 
before  bed.  In  fact,  we  drank  so  much  beer,  with  the 
vague  idea  of  becoming  as  fat  as  Japanese  wrestlers, 
that  a  peculiar  sign  which  Johnny  and  I  invented  was 
equivalent  to  an  order  with  the  head  steward.  The  food 
and  service  were  excellent,  and  we  got  enough  exercise  to 
keep  fit,  but  "literature  and  loafing"  were  our  watch- 
words. 

4.  SAMURAI  SPIRIT  AND  SHINTOISM.     See  Diary  during 
July,  1907. 

5.  THE  SCARLET  WOMAN.     What  more  strange  and  in- 
congruous companions  could  this  frail  creature  of  paint, 
powder  and  puffs  possibly  have  than  the  missionaries, 
teachers,  travelers,  returning  Japanese  merchants,  and 
we  students  who  made  up  the  ensemble  of  our  little  first 
cabin  party.     She  is  not  without  a  certain  charm,  the 
charm    of    youth,    health,    beauty,    and    naivety.      Yes, 
naivety,  for  she  is  in  a  state  of  innocence,  knowing  neither 
good  nor  evil.     She  has  never  known  any  other  life, 
thinks  it  quite  natural  and  proper,  and  mixes  with  all 
of  us,  not  only  without  embarrassment,  but  with  not  the 
slightest  hint  of  brazenness.     She  plays   cards  in  the 
smoking-room   with  her   Japanese   husband    (to   whom 
she  seems  very  devoted)  and  is  supremely  unconscious 
that  the  missionaries  and  others  are  trying  to   avoid 
her.     She  braved  the  upper  deck  with  me  the  day  of 
the  storm,  when  great  waves  were  breaking  across  the 
bows  every  few  moments  and  drenching  us,  with  the 
same  light  hearted  naturalness  with  which  she  waltzed 
out  on  the  deck  one  Sunday  evening  when  we  were  all 
singing   hymns   in   the   open   air.    Her   husband   must 
serve  two  years  as  a  soldier,  and  as  they  are  poor, 
she  is  going  to  support  herself  in  a  house  during  that 


336  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK        [Vol. 

time.  Dr.  Nakada  and  Mr.  Chambers  are  planning  a 
rescue  campaign  through  the  medium  of  some  good  Amer- 
ican mission  ladies  in  Tokio,  which  I  earnestly  hope  will 
succeed,  as  there  is  no  reason  why  she  should  not  have  a 
better  future  before  her.  I  saw  her  for  the  last  time 
doing  the  sights  of  Tokio  in  a  rickshaw  with  her  hus- 
band, in  all  the  pride  of  her  young  womanhood,  and  I 
waved  her  a  very  sympathetic  and  hopeful  farewell. 
1  'Let  him  who  is  without  sin  among  you,  cast  the  first 
stone. ' ' 

6.  JAPANESE  TEA  HOUSES.  They  are  placed  in  all  the 
beautiful  and  view-commanding  spots  in  Japan  not  already 
occupied  by  temples,  and  it  is  therefore  almost  impossible 
not  to  drop  in  for  a  moment  in  passing.  All  the  more  im- 
possible, when  there  is  a  pretty  little  mousme  smiling  from 
the  doorway,  or  your  coolie  complains  of  heat  and  fatigue, 
which,  sturdy  fellow  though  he  be,  he  usually  contrives  to 
do  at  such  moments.  Once  in,  you  are  lord  of  the  manor. 
The  landlady  and  all  the  dainty  maids  bow  before  you, 
they  lead  you  to  an  honored  seat  on  the  veranda  or  in  the 
garden,  and  ply  you  with  tea,  cakes,  peaches,  and  ques- 
tions. "  Where  are  you  going?"  "  Where  coming  from?" 
"How  do  you  like  Japan?  "  "  What  is  the  name  for  this  in 
English?  "  0  cunning,  clever,  and  base-minded  maidens ! 
You  contrive  to  make  us  so  much  at  home  and  give  us 
such  an  agreeable  time  (for  all  the  world  as  though  we 
were  paying  you  a  sociable  little  visit)  that  you  know  right 
well  that  we  cannot  leave  without  giving  you  a  con- 
siderable guerdon,  considerable  in  Japan,  but  after  all, 
cheap  enough  to  our  occidental  notions -some  twenty  to 
fifty  sen  (ten  to  twenty-five  cents)  is  princely.  And  how 
they  manage  to  forestall  one's  every  wish!  If  you  look 
jaded,  perhaps  you  would  like  a  refreshing  hot  bath?  If 
the  tea  house  is  on  the  shore,  here  are  towels  and  trunks  for 
a  swim  in  the  surf.  If  it  boasts  a  famous  view,  please  to 
honor  us  by  stepping  this  way !  0,  hospitable  tea  houses, 
I  wish  that  I  could  visit  you  all  again,  idling  away  half 


one]  JAPANESE  RAILWAY  TRAVEL  337 

a  day  at  every  one,  but  alas,  what  can  a  wanderer  do  but 
* '  hope  he  may  hang  his  humble  eyes  once  more  upon 
your  honorable  person  "  (Mata  omeni  kakari  masho)  and 
step  regretfully  on  again ! 

7.  JAPANESE  RAILWAY  TRAVEL.  Although  we  used  the 
first  class  compartments  sometimes,  we  found  the  second 
class  quite  as  comfortable  and  clean,  though  naturally 
more  likely  to  be  crowded.  A  third  class  carriage  in  which 
I  traveled  for  an  entire  day  with  coolies,  peasants,  pilgrims, 
and  poor  working  people  generally,  I  found  crowded  and 
with  hard  seats,  but  not  at  all  unpleasant,  and  my  com- 
panions interesting,  if  not  very  polite.  It  is  considerably 
cheaper  than  American  travel  (roughly  one  cent  and  a 
half  gold  per  mile,  second  class,  and  two  and  a  half 
cents  gold  per  mile,  first  class)  but  has  not  its  extremes  of 
comfort.  For  instance,  everything  in  the  sleeping  car 
is  on  a  far  smaller  and  less  commodius  scale  (I  being  tall, 
noticed  particularly  the  length  and  height  of  the  births), 
while  barber  shops,  bath  tubs,  stenographers,  observation 
and  library  cars,  are  I  believe,  as  yet  unknown.  The  ser- 
vice and  fare  on  the  dining  car  are  excellent  and  moder- 
ate, but  there,  too,  things  are  a  bit  cramped,  and  there  is 
less  style  and  pretension.  Although  the  stations  are  all 
smaller  and  less  elaborately  fitted  out  than  most  of  ours, 
they  are  quite  capable  of  handling  the  traffic.  Few  of 
them,  for  instance,  have  restaurants,  but  as  one  can  buy 
neat  Japanese  tiffin  boxes  containing  rice,  eggs,  condi- 
ments, and  fruit  at  every  platform  for  next  to  nothing,  as 
well  as  beer  and  minature  pots  of  hot  refreshing  tea, 
one  soon  outgrows  this  want.  One  gets  good  attention 
from  the  porters  and  at  the  booking  offices,  but  should  be 
careful  to  get  there  in  good  time,  as  no  tickets  are  sold 
the  last  two  minutes  before  the  trains  start.  First  class 
passengers  are  allowed  one  hundred  pounds  excess  bag- 
gage, and  second  class  sixty.  Stop-overs  can  easily  be 
arranged  for,  where  not  already  stipulated. 


338  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK        [Vol. 

8.  JAPANESE  INNS.  If  the  art  of  making  mere  man 
really  and  truly  comfortable  has  anywhere  reached  that 
state  of  perfection  which  all  of  us  fondly  imagine  that 
only  the  intangible  * '  She  ' '  can  really  ever  attain  to,  it  is 
at  the  little  Japanese  Wayside  Inn.  Imagine  yourself  to 
have  arrived  at  one  of  these  quaintly  embowered  hostel- 
ries  looking  as  dainty  and  fragile  as  a  toy  house,  and  as 
though,  should  you  ever  be  diabolically  inclined,  you 
could  crumple  the  whole  structure  up  between  your 
hands ;  imagine  yourself,  I  say,  to  have  arrived  here,  foot- 
sore, tired,  and  with  a  thirst  worth  a  king's  ransom,  just 
at  nightfall,  when  the  pink  and  yellow  lights  are  twink- 
ling out  along  the  crooked  streets,  and  rosy  paper  lan- 
terns are  being  everywhere  lighted.  What  a  scampering 
to  and  fro  of  dainty  smiling  little  maids  on  clattering 
clogs  heralds  the  advent  into  the  stone-flagged  court  of 
the  illustrious  foreigner  who  will  honor  their  humble 
abode  for  the  night!  Your  dusty  boots  are  removed  by 
soft  hands,  and  a  still  softer  one  is  slipped  into  yours  and 
guides  you  through  dark,  twisting  passages  to  your  own 
mat-floored  room.  Here  you  change  to  that  most  com- 
fortable of  all  lounging  costumes,  the  kimona,  and  are 
handed  to  a  hot  refreshing  bath,  where  a  soak  and  a  mas- 
sage take  all  the  stiffness  from  your  joints  and  the  sore- 
ness from  your  toes.  Back  to  your  room  where  one  little 
fairy  is  waiting  for  you  with  a  brimming  becker  of  ice- 
cold  beer,  while  another  has  cigarettes  and  a  bit  of  char- 
coal to  light  the  same.  Dinner  is  presently  announced, 
and  is  as  dainty  and  appetizing  as  it  is  satisfying  and 
nourishing.  It  is  served  by  a  deft-handed  Hebe,  from  lit- 
tle lacquered  bowls  and  dishes,  while  two  more  fan  you 
and  drive  away  such  mosquitoes  as  are  forward  enough 
to  approach  your  august  presence.  After  dinner  the  maids 
will  sing  songs  for  your  delight,  gurgle  deliciously  at  all 
your  parlor  tricks,  help  out  your  faltering  Japanese  with 
childish  interest,  peel  iced  peaches  for  your  delectation, 
and  perhaps  even  give  you  an  improptu  dance  or  bit  of 


one]  ASCENT  OF  ASAMA-YAMA  339 

mimicry,  till  the  smiling  hostess  brings  in  your  big  futam, 
or  mattress.  This  is  rolled  on  the  floor,  a  mosquito  net 
suspended  from  above  and  dropped  around  it  from  rings 
in  the  ceiling,  and  they  all  trip  off  and  leave  you  to  the 
soundest  of  sleep  and  the  sweetest  of  dreams.  In  the 
morning  you  may  have  a  cold  bath  in  place  of  the  usual 
hot  one,  if  you  desire.  After  a  breakfast  which  com- 
prises several  very  delectable,  if  unpronounceable  dishes 
in  addition  to  tea,  rice,  eggs,  and  fish,  your  clothes  are 
brought  in.  But  you  hardly  recognize  them  as  the  same 
muddy  and  travel- stained  things  that  you  discarded  last 
night,  so  completely  have  they  been  cleansed  and  trans- 
formed. Your  shoes  are  put  on  at  the  door  and  you  are 
escorted  in  state  across  the  court-yard.  Amid  a  salvo  of 
Sayonaras  and  Mata  omeni  kakara  mashos  you  buckle 
on  your  knapsack  and  stride  off  with  many  a  backward 
glance  at  the  gay  group  still  waving  you  God-speed  from 
the  turn  of  the  road. 

9.  WALKING  TouR-NiKKo  TO  KARUIZAWA.     See  Let- 
ters and  Diary  of  August,  1908. 

10.  ASCENT  OF  ASAMA-YAMA.     Warren  Powell,  Webb 
Baker,  and  I  had  determined  to  ascend  this  volcano  on 
the  night  of  August  fourteenth,  two  days  after  my  arrival 
at  Karuizawa.     Our  plan  was  to  start  about  eight  o  'clock 
in  the  evening,  getting  up  in  time  for  the  sun  rise  next 
morning,  and  then  go  over  to  the  great  lava  beds,  some 
ten  miles  further,  returning  home  another  way  in  time  for 
me  to  catch  the  five  o'clock  train  for  Tokio.     Horses  (for 
the  ten  mile  overland  ride),  boys,  lanterns,  provisions, 
water  (which  last  we  could  have  gotten  along  without) 
waraji  (straw  over-sandals),  rubber  coats,  and  candles, 
we  had  provided  that  afternoon,  but  the  usual  little  delays 
which  darkness  accentuates,  prevented  our  being  finally 
started  until  half  past  eight.    And  a  most  villainous  look- 
ing cavalcade  we  were ;  smugglers  or  highway  robbers  at 
the  very  least !    It  was  raining  very  smartly,  though  our 


340  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK         [Vol. 

guide  assured  us  it  would  clear,  so  Warren  was  wearing  a 
lady's  mackintosh  borrowed  from  a  young  and  very  beau 
tiful  missionary,  Webb  a  short  coolie's  rubber  coat  (both 
supplemented  by  oiled  paper  and  huge  straw  hats),  and  I 
in  my  faithful  rubber  hunting  shirt,  cut  for  the  pummel, 
and  a  useful  rubber  hat.  The  horse  boys  were  al  so  swathed 
for  the  rain,  and  looked  wild  enough  for  anything  in 
the  red  glow  of  their  effective  little  oiled  paper  lanterns. 
The  two  coolies  who  carried  our  coats  (we  were  warned 
that  it  was  icy  cold  on  top),  extra  waraji,  and  tiffin  basket, 
wore  the  huge  straw  hats  effected  by  the  Japanese  pil- 
grims and  great  mats  of  closely  woven  straw  over  their 
shoulders.  For  about  ten  or  eleven  miles  our  little  party 
wound  its  way  up  and  over  the  intervening  foot  hills,  our 
line  of  march  being  indicated  (had  anyone  been  foolish 
enough  to  come  out  in  the  rain  to  watch)  by  the  little  pink 
blurs  of  our  lanterns  on  the  wet  hillside  trail.  But  as  the 
wind  and  rain  rose,  so  also  did  our  spirits,  and  we  trolled 
forth  every  lusty  catch  and  amorous  ditty  of  our  com- 
bined repertoires.  Midnight  found  us  in  a  rude  hovel 
at  the  foot  of  the  actual  mountain,  still  expectant  of  a 
clearing  and  a  fair  sunrise  in  spite  of  our  drenched 
clothes  and  the  incessant  down  pour.  We  crouched  over 
a  smoky  fire  here  until  one,  to  give  the  coolies  a  rest  and 
get  a  bite  to  eat  ourselves,  and  then  splashed  out  and  up 
the  steep  trail  on  foot.  After  a  half  mile  through  a 
stunted  forest,  the  dim  path  started  zigzagging  up  the 
face  of  a  vast,  steep  cinder  slope,  where  we  were  exposed 
to  the  full  fury  of  the  wind  and  the  rain,  which  whipped 
our  faces  like  so  much  hail.  All  hope  of  keeping  dry  was 
soon  abandoned  in  spite  of  our  rubber  coats,  and  we  bat- 
tled on  after  our  leaders,  '  *  Stumpy ' '  and  ' '  Peter 
Piper,"  with  the  single  desire  to  rea^h  the  summit.  At 
every  halt  for  rest  and  breath  we  cheered  each  other  by 
noticing  absent  stars  or  pretending  to  see  a  rift  in  the 
clouds.  Baker,  in  very  good  vein,  said :  ' '  Darn  it,  by 
the  time  we're  dry  the  sun  will  be  out.  Let's  hang  our 


one]  THE  MAN  NEXT  DOOR  341 

clothes  on  a  tree  to  dry,  and  go  in  for  a  swim.  I  can't 
touch  bottom  now,  there's  so  much  water  in  my  shoes." 
On  we  went,  squeeking,  squelching,  and  panting,  until 
twenty  minutes  after  four  in  the  morning  found  us  at  the 
old  crater.  Here  we  crouched  in  a  rocky  gulch,  sheltered 
from  the  wind  (but  not  the  rain)  and  I  produced  some 
cakes  of  chocolate  and  a  flask  of  brandy,  which  revived 
us  all.  Half  a  mile's  steep  ascent  brought  us  to  the 
edge  of  the  new  crater,  where  whirling  clouds  of  vapor 
nearly  choked  us.  Webb 's  weak  heart  troubled  him  quite 
a  little  this  last  part,  and  he  staggered  dangerously 
once  or  twice.  Warren,  too,  had  bruised  his  ankle,  and 
was  limping.  Standing  on  the  edge  of  the  crater,  we 
could  see  a  dull  red  glow  far  down  through  the  rain, 
clouds,  and  smoke. 
This  a  night,  this  a  night,  every  night  and  a 

Fire  and  sleet  and  candle  light,  and  Christ  receive  thy  soul. 
Wind,  rain,  and  sulphur,  however,  combined  to  make  our 
stay  a  short  one,  and  we  hurried  down  to  the  old  crater 
for  a  moment's  rest.  The  grand  descent  to  the  hut  we 
made  by  slides  and  leaps  and  a  jog  trot,  in  an  hour  and 
fifteen  minutes,  and  this  violent  exertion  helped  to  put  our 
blood  in  circulation  and  give  feeling  to  our  numbed 
fingers.  We  decided  it  to  be  ridiculous  to  push  on  to  the 
lava  beds,  since  a  regular  storm  had  set  in,  with  perfect 
torrents  of  rain.  Warren  and  I  walked  the  ten  miles 
home  in  two  hours  and  ten  minutes,  preferring  this  to  the 
ride  in  wet  clothes  and  the  risk  of  taking  cold.  The 
roads  were  sometimes  knee  deep  in  water,  and  we  found 
the  lower  part  of  the  town  flooded.  We  got  back  about 
nine  in  the  still  rainy  morning,  and  a  hot  bath  restored  my 
every  faculty,  so  that  after  bidding  my  companions  fare- 
well, I  was  able  to  get  the  two  o'clock  train  for  Tokio, 
after  a  most  enjoyable  night's  work. 

11.    THE  MAN  NEXT  DOOR  AT  KABUIZAWA.    I  don't  know 
whether  he  is  a  murderer  in  hiding,  a  morphia  fiend,  a 


342  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK        [Vol. 

chronic  invalid,  a  defaulting  bank  clerk,  or  a  gibbering 
idiot.  I  have  only  seen  him  once  when  I  passed  his  door, 
opened  to  emit  a  frightened  maid,  but  his  dark,  gaunt, 
unshaven  face,  and  glittering  eyes  glaring  at  me  over  his 
drawn  up  knees  as  he  sat  propped  up  in  bed,  have  haunted 
me  ever  since.  I  hear  him  grumbling  and  snarling  all 
day  long -either  at  people  who  apparently  come  to  visit 
him,  or  at  the  pretty  maids  who  bring  his  meals.  When- 
ever I  happen  to  be  awake  at  night  I  hear  him  pitching 
and  tossing  on  his  bed,  and  groaning  and  cursing  in  none 
too  subdued  tones.  Sometimes  I  am  quite  sorry  for  him, 
and  at  others  -  usually  after  dark  - 1  fancy  him  crawling 
stealthily  into  my  room,  and  can  almost  feel  his  long  bony 
fingers  tighten  about  my  throat.  Whatever  he  be,  how- 
ever, he  adds  a  touch  of  danger  and  adventure  to  an 
otherwise  peaceful  existence.  Perhaps,  however,  he  is 
only  a  poet,  an  inventor,  or  a  humorist -they  are,  I  be- 
lieve, usually  dyspeptic  and  proverbially  short  tempered. 
I  tremble  whenever  I  pass  his  door  lest  he  pounce  out 
upon  me  with  a  hideous  grin,  and  perhaps  contaminate 
me  with  some  horrible  disease. 

12.  STREET  PEDDLERS  AND  SMALL  CURIO  SHOPS.  At 
night  (and  more  particularly  in  Tokio),  when  the  busiest 
traffic  of  the  day  is  over,  hundreds  of  little  mushroom 
stores  twinkle  into  existence  upon  the  sidewalks.  The 
proprietors,  usually  men  but  often  girls  and  boys,  sit  pas- 
sively crosslegged  in  the  midst  of  their  marvelous,  and 
for  the  most  part,  trumpery  display.  They  never  invite 
attention  or  cry  their  wares,  but  smoke  innumerable  con- 
templative pipes  while  you  handle  and  examine  every- 
thing, and  at  last  are  forced  to  ask  prices.  These  they 
usually  give  at  about  five  times  the  value,  while  a  con- 
siderable crowd  of  children  collects  itself  behind,  not  to 
curiously  stare  at  you,  but  to  see  whether  you  will  allow 
yourself  to  be  * '  stung. ' '  Very  politely  you  mention  that 
it  happens  to  be  too  expensive,  Takai,  and  drop  a  hint 


one] SMALL  CURIO  SHOPS 343 

that  you  might  be  induced  to  buy  it  for  a  little  less. 
(Never  name  a  figure  very  much  lower  than  demanded  or 
business  is  over  with.)  The  barelegged  merchant  smiles 
and  finally  takes  the  pipe  out  of  his  mouth  to  admit  that 
that  is  fair  Yuroshi  Desk.  Whereupon  you  bow  and  go 
a  little  lower.  So  you  peg  away,  the  bargain  is  politely 
and  smilingly  discussed.  You  must  not  hurry  and  it  may 
take  you  half  an  evening  to  secure  some  fantastically 
carved  bit  of  ivory.  But  oh  the  triumph  when  you  at  last 
saunter  off  with  it  in  your  pocket!  It  is  doubly  and 
peculiarly  your  own,  for  did  you  not  discover  it  and  then 
fight  for  it  ?  No  guide  brought  you  proudly  to  this  store 
in  a  rickshaw  and  had  all  its  treasures  rare  lavishly  dis- 
played before  you,  nor  when  you  suggested  a  reduction 
did  the  vender  of  curios  look  insulted.  No,  here  it  is 
catch-as-catch-can  and  may  the  best  man  win;  best  man 
being  perhaps  truest  described  as  most  patient  and  polite. 
Oh  what  wonderful  goods  are  exposed  for  sale  in  those 
streets,  dimly  lighted  with  rosy  paper  lanterns!  What 
whimsical  extravagances  in  those  miniature  bazaars. 
Junk  collected  from  all  over  the  great  Mikado's  Empire, 
gilded  Buddhas  in  little  folding  shrines,  metal  pipes  with 
carved  wooden  tobacco  boxes  attached,  grotesquely 
carved  figures,  bits  of  jade  and  amber,  sword  hilts,  and 
curiously  wrought  door  handles.  Anything  and  every- 
thing may  be  had  here  with  a  little  searching,  and  when 
you  are  through  dickering  we  will  go  to  a  corner  refresh- 
ment-vender and  sip  one  of  his  queer  perfumed  ices ;  for 
it  is  very  warm  in  Tokio  to-night,  under  the  low-hung 
golden  moon! 

13.  THE  JAPANESE  COOLIE. 

14.  MYANOSHITA  TO  NAMADSU.    See  Letters  and  Diary, 
August,  1907. 

15.  FUSAN  TO  PEKING  -  OVERLAND.    See  Diary,  Septem- 
ber, 1907. 


344  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK 

16.  A  THOUSAND  Li  WITH  A  DONKEY  or  a  Dip  into 
Mongolia.     See  account  in  Diary,  September  and  Octo- 
ber, 1907. 

17.  TRAMP  AND  COASTING  STEAMERS.    If  one  hasn't  to 
live  the  frenzied  existence  of  the  ninety-day-round-the- 
world  globe  trotter,  there  is  no  more  delightful  way  to 
travel  than  to  take  passage  on  a  coasting  steamer.     You 
haven't  all  the  pomp  and  circumstance,  the  glitter  and 
glare  of  the  mail  steamers,  with  their  bands  and  uni- 
formed stewards,  but  you  are  almost  sure  to  have  the  boat 
to  yourself,  to  be  given  a  large  old-fashioned  cabin  to  lux- 
uriate in,  excellent  food  and  assiduous  attention. 

To  be  sure  your  little  boat  tosses  you  about  a  bit  in  the 
tail  of  a  typhoon,  and  if  you're  a  bad  sailor  I  perhaps 
wouldn't  advise  it.  But  to  compensate  I  can  promise 
calm  delightful  days  in  strange  ports,  where  the  big  mail 
steamers  will  never  take  you.  Here,  while  the  ship  is 
unloading  cargoes  and  coolies,  you  can  poke  about  to  your 
heart's  content  and  absorb  much  that  is  novel,  bizarre, 
and  interesting -if  not  always  beautiful.  I  have  to  thank 
an  enforced  delay  of  this  kind  for  one  of  the  most  delight- 
ful days  I  can  remember,  spent  in  a  lovely,  dreamy  old 
Buddhist  monastery  perched  on  a  rocky  mountainside 
above  green  Poochow.  You  will  wander  into  bays  and 
harbors,  perhaps  the  haunts  of  buccaneers  or  pearl-div- 
ers. You  will  thread  your  way  through  a  bewilderingly 
beautiful  archipelago  of  islets,  whose  channels  a  larger 
boat  could  not  negotiate.  You  will  glide  slowly  up  nar- 
row, twisting  rivers,  getting  delightful  glimpses  into 
native  house-boat  or  grass-hut  life  along  the  banks.  You 
will  have  time  and  opportunity  to  follow  out  many  tempt- 
ing vistas  of  adventure  and  romance  which  have  allured 
you  in  story-books  and  dreams.  But  perhaps  best  of  all 
you  will  meet  a  remarkably  interesting  class  of  men  in 
the  officers  of  these  tramps -men  with  whom  it  is  a  rare 
treat  to  spend  a  whole  night  yarning  and  smoking  on 
deck. 


IN  THE  HARBOR  OF  AMOY 


TRAMP  AND  COASTING  STEAMERS  347 

One  runs  across  quaint  characters  here  who  have 
knocked  about  in  every  corner  of  the  globe.  Men  who 
have  been  slavers,  pearl-divers,  opium- smugglers,  whale- 
fishers,  wreckers,  arctic  explorers,  or  filibusters.  Old  salts 
who  are  familiar  with  every  port  from  Zanzibar  to  Bio, 
who  know  every  coral  reef  and  tawny  beauty  in  the  South 
Seas,  who  have  picked  up  a  smattering  of  half  a  dozen 
Lingua- Francas  useful  on  many  coasts  -  Japanese  in 
Yokohama,  Nagasaki,  and  Tam-sui  -  Cantonese  in  Amoy, 
Swatow,  and  Hainan -Malay  in  Singapore,  Penang,  and 
Surabaya  -  Tamil  in  Madras,  Tuticorin,  and  Point  de 
Galle  -  Hindustani  in  Calcutta,  Rangoon,  and  Karachi - 
and  Swahili  in  Mombasa,  Dar-es- Salaam,  and  Mosam- 
bique.  Wastrels  of  the  deep  who  have  been  shipwrecked 
in  many  lands,  fought  with  sharks  and  swordfish,  or  been 
attacked  by  Chinese  or  Malay  pirates. 

Even  now  the  mellow  aroma  of  tobacco,  when  mingled 
with  the  salt  tang  of  the  sea,  recalls  many  a  wonderful 
starlit  night  when  the  lurch  of  the  ship  and  the  red  glow 
of  the  binnacle  interwove  themselves  with  a  garrulous 
succession  of  tales  and  experiences.  Much  that  one  hears 
at  times  like  this,  under  the  friendly  cloak  of  darkness, 
may  not  be  true,  but  spiced  with  a  vivid  imagination  and 
*  *  larded  with  strange  oaths, ' '  it  has  the  right  smack 
about  it.  I  have  swapped  accounts  of  my  own  home  on 
the  Great  Lakes,  stories  of  Canadian  hunting,  fisliing, 
trapping,  and  prospecting,  and  descriptions  of  the  beau- 
tiful white  forests  of  the  frozen  north,  for  tales  of  scenes 
as  strange  to  me  as  mine  were  to  the  men  to  whom  I  told 
them.  Pleasant  companions  these,  though  one  never  per- 
haps expects  to  see  them  again,  for  we  are  as  ships  that 
pass  in  the  night  and  have  signaled  in  the  passing. 

Oh  'tis  North  you  may  run  to  the  rime-ringed  sun 

Or  South  to  the  blind  Horn's  hate; 

Or  East  all  the  way  to  Mississippi  Bay, 

Or  West  to  the  Golden  Gate ; 

Where  the  blindest  bluffs  hold  good,  dear  lass, 


348  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK         [Vol. 

And  the  wildest  tales  are  true, 

And  the  men  bulk  big  on  the  old  trail,  our  own  trail,  the  out  trail, 

And  life  looms  large  on  the  long  trail  - 

The  trail  that  is  always  new. 

Oh,  the  blazing  tropic  night,  when  the  wake's  a  welt  of  light 

That  holds  the  hot  sky  tame, 

And  the  steady  fore-foot  snores  through  the  planet-powdered 

floors 

Where  the  scared  whale  flukes  in  flame ! 
Her  plates  are  scarred  with  the  sun,  dear  lass, 
And  her  ropes  are  taunt  with  the  dew, 
For  we're  booming  down  on  the  old  trail,  our  own  trail,  the  out 

trail, 

We're  sagging  South  on  the  Long  Trail - 
The  trail  that  is  always  new. 

18.  STORM  AT  SEA. 

19.  FOOCHOW  AND  THE  SOUTH  CHINA  COAST.     See  Let- 
ters and  Diary  for  October,  1908. 

20.  A  DAY  IN  A  CHINESE  MONASTERY.     See  account  in 
Diary  for  October  19, 1908. 

21-22.  FORMOSA  AND  ASCENT  OF  MOUNT  MORRISON. 
See  Diary,  October  to  November  17. 

23.  SINAGAR.  Of  all  the  exiles  in  the  far  corners  of 
the  world,  perhaps  the  least  to  be  pitied  are  the  Java  tea- 
planters.  I,  for  one,  envy  no  one  more  than  the  master 
of  Sinagar,  the  oldest  and  finest  of  the  great  Preanger 
Estates.  He  leads  an  ideal  sort  of  an  existence,  useful, 
busy,  yet  constantly  out  of  doors  in  a  land  where  it  is 
always  fresh,  breezy,  dewy  June  mornings  or  long  luxuri- 
ous dreamy  August  afternoons.  The  estate  is  so  large 
that  it  requires  several  white  assistants,  and  they  are  all 
good  fellows,  well-bred,  and  interesting  and  friends  of  the 
master.  His  nearest  neighbors  are  ten  miles  away  on 
the  next  plantation,  but  a  'phone  call  brings  them  over 
for  a  dinner,  dance,  or  musical  evening  by  horseback  or 
motor.  Three  hours  by  rail  takes  him  to  Batavia  where 


one]  SINAGAR  349 

a  host  of  other  friends,  theater,  concerts,  and  races  are 
always  to  be  found,  although  a  well- stocked  library,  a 
large  stable,  and  aviary,  and  other  pets,  excellent  bird 
shooting,  swimming,  and  tennis  should  prevent  any  sane 
man  from  getting  restless  at  such  a  delightful  home.  Va- 
cations can  be  spent  after  big  game  in  the  "West  Coast  or 
a  run  up  to  Burma,  Japan,  or  the  South  Seas.  "  If  there 
is  a  heaven  upon  earth  it  is  this,  it  is  this." 

Sinagar  lies  in  a  lovely  broad  valley  about  two  thou- 
sand, five  hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  between  the  famous 
sleeping  volcanoes  of  the  Gede  and  Salak,  whose  spurs 
are  terraced  and  cultivated  with  tea  up  to  the  four  thou- 
sand foot  level.  The  climate  is  all  that  a  sybarite  could  ask 
for,  about  seventy  degrees  during  the  day  with  the  need 
for  a  blanket  at  night ;  and  a  cool  refreshing  shower  every 
afternoon.  Nature  luxuriates  in  the  richest  tropic  opu- 
lence here,  the  white  bungalow  nestles  amidst  a  mass  of 
flame-colored  flowering  trees,  hibiscus,  tall  areca  and 
betel-nut  palms,  tamarinds,  vivid-leaved  bourgainvilleas, 
and  vines  draping  and  mantling  the  whole  in  soft  pro- 
fusion. Behind  the  portico-connected  bungalow  is  the 
lovely  flower  garden  rich  in  orchids,  roses,  lilies,  olean- 
ders, fragrant  kanangas,  and  other  strange  tropic  flowers. 
From  here  a  stone  path  leads  down  to  a  green  hollow 
where  a  stone  pool  basks  in  the  sunlight,  its  dark  cool 
depths  dotted  with  golden-hearted  white  frangipani  blos- 
soms dropped  from  the  sacred  Bo-tree  which  o'ershadows 
it.  The  approach  to  Sinagar  is  a  ten  mile  drive  through 
a  magnificent  avenue  of  Kanari  trees,  interspersed  with 
open  stretches  through  the  green  tea  fields,  across  which 
panoramic  views  of  the  smiling  happy  valley  beckons  one ; 
and  dashes  through  kampongs  or  native  villages  of  dainty 
mat-woven  houses. 

Sinagar  embraces  over  seventeen  thousand  acres  of  cul- 
tivatable  land,  and  nearly  four  thousand  people  live  on  it 
and  work  for  and  are  ruled  by  its  master.  The  Dodok  and 
the  Kapala  or  native  reverences  are  paid  to  him  as  loyal- 


350  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK         [Vol. 

ly  and  as  gladly  as  ever  they  were  to  the  old  sultans,  and 
in  return  he  is  the  judge,  father,  and  friend,  to  this  whole 
community  -  no  disputes  are  too  petty  or  too  sacred  to  be 
brought  before  him,  no  troubles  can  be  conceived  by  the 
Soundanese  too  great  to  be  smoothed  by  this  loving  pater- 
familias, nothing  that  he  asks  will  they  dream  of  refusing 
him.  For  their  entertainment  he  keeps  a  troupe  of  play- 
ers and  dancing  girls,  and  a  gamelen  or  native  orchestra 
which  perform  in  his  own  open-air  theatre,  a  splendid 
phonograph  and  a  biograph.  He  encourages  the  people 
to  make  their  homes  as  substantial,  clean,  and  pleasing  as 
possible,  and  inspects  the  kampongs  himself  to  see  that 
proper  sanitation  is  maintained. 

Sinagar  is  eighty  years  old  and  its  first  master  intro- 
duced the  tea  culture  into  Java;  and  some  of  the  China 
tea-bushes  (really  a  descendant  of  the  same  plant  dis- 
covered near  the  Yunan  border  by  English  botanists  in 
1834)  at  Sinagar,  are  fifty  or  sixty  years  of  age,  the  pio- 
neers and  patriarchs  of  their  kinds  in  Java,  original  seed- 
lings and  first  importations  from  China.  There  are  also 
the  hardier  Assam  plants  which  cannot  hope  to  attain 
the  same  low,  thick-stemmed  compactness  of  their  rivals. 
The  Assam  grafted  on  the  Chinese  produces  the  tall  hy- 
brid, commonly  grown  in  Java.  Tea  requires  constant 
care  (a  strong  contrast  to  coffee).  Grass,  leaves,  and 
twigs  are  kept  away  from  under  it,  and  the  roots  must  be 
well  exposed  to  air  and  water  by  means  of  regular  trench- 
es. Foot-paths  for  the  convenience  of  pickers  and  over- 
seers lead  all  about  through  the  tea  gardens,  and  make 
the  task  of  inspection  very  pleasant  and  easy.  It  takes 
between  two  and  four  years  from  the  time  the  young  plant 
has  been  transplanted  from  the  nursery  before  the  leaves 
may  be  gathered,  and  after  that  it  *  *  flushes  ' '  between 
twenty  and  twenty-five  times  a  year.  The  tea-pickers, 
mostly  women  and  children,  because  of  the  delicacy  of 
their  touch,  gather  the  leaves  when  they  are  free  from 
rain,  if  possible.  If  however  they  are  brought  into  the 


one]  SINAGAR  351 

fabrik  damp,  they  are  spread  out  in  the  sun  or  air  to  dry 
and  wilt  in  flat  basket  panniers,  before  being  rolled  in 
the  machines.  This  operation  frees  the  juices  in  the  leaf- 
cells,  after  which  it  is  fermented  in  heaps  for  four  or 
eight  hours  until,  by  their  turning  a  dark  reddish  brown, 
there  is  evidence  that  the  rank  theine  (the  active  prin- 
ciple or  stimulating  alkaloid  in  the  leaves)  has  been  ox- 
idized. The  bruised  red  leaves  are  spread  out  on  wire 
trays  and  exposed  to  hot  blasts  from  revolving  fans. 
They  are  then  broken  and  rolled  into  twists.  These  ma- 
chines make  quick  clean  work  of  what  the  Chinese  and 
Japanese  coolies  do  by  hand-drying  the  leaves  over  char- 
coal fires.  The  sifting,  sorting,  and  packing  into  tin- 
lined  sealed  boxes  is  still  done  by  trained  female  hands, 
and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  watch  the  sure  deft-fingered  work 
of  the  pretty  little  Javanese  belles.  An  important  bi- 
product  is  the  tea-brick,  composed  from  the  dust,  which 
finds  a  ready  market  in  China.  The  leaves  to  be  made 
into  green  teas  are  given  a  first  toasting  almost  as  they 
come  in  from  the  bushes,  are  rolled  by  hand,  and  fired 
again  more  thoroughly  before  packing.  As  the  taste  of 
the  world's  tea-drinkers  becomes  more  cultivated  green 
tea  will  lose  favor,  and  the  Java  tea-fabriks  will  be  em- 
ployed more  entirely  to  competing  with  the  factories  of 
India  and  Ceylon,  from  whose  culture  experiments  they 
have  profited,  and  whose  ingenious  machines  they  have  so 
generally  adopted  for  curing  and  preparing  black  teas. 
Less  green  tea  is  sold  each  year,  and  soon  the  entire  Java 
crop  will  be  cured  to  the  half  black,  or  oolong,  and  the 
standard  black,  which  alone  can  find  sale  in  England  and 
Russia,  the  largest  and  most  critical  tea-consuming  coun- 
tries of  Europe. 

The  coffee  harvest  comes  at  regular  stated  intervals, 
between  which  there  is  nothing  to  be  done  except  to  watch 
the  trees  for  signs  of  bugs  or  blight,  and  keep  them  well 
cleared  and  leaf-manured.  The  finer  Arabian  berry, 
which  made  its  reputation  years  ago  in  Mocha,  has  been 


352  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK         [Vol. 

almost  entirely  replaced  in  Java  by  the  more  hardy  Li- 
berian;  but  both  are  being  ousted  in  the  markets  of  the 
world  by  the  enormous  output  of  the  prolific  Brazilian 
shrub.  About  thirty  and  twenty  years  ago  respectively, 
the  coffee  plantations  of  both  Ceylon  and  Java  were 
blasted  by  the  blight,  and  tea  has  entirely  taken  its  place 
financially.  Sinagar  grows  scarcely  more  coffee  than  is 
used  by  its  master  and  his  friends.  The  berries  are 
brought  to  the  mill,  husked  by  machines,  washed,  dried 
on  concrete  platforms  in  the  sun,  sacked  and  shipped  to 
Batavia,  and  nothing  more  is  heard  of  that  crop  until  the 
next  spring  comes  round. 

The  Java  planters  are  also  following  the  lead  of  their 
Ceylon  rivals  in  the  planting  of  rubber  on  the  lower  parts 
of  their  estate.  It  takes  almost  seven  years  for  these 
trees  to  mature,  and  in  the  meantime  they  require  nothing 
except  the  taking  away  of  dead  leaves  and  constant  leaf- 
manuring.  The  trees  are  planted  well  apart  and  in  reg- 
ular rows,  to  facilitate  the  work  of  tapping.  A  spiral 
groove  is  cut  around  the  bole,  a  new  ring  being  added 
each  year  as  the  tree  matures.  A  collecting  receptacle 
is  fastened  at  intervals  along  this  spiral,  and  the  juice  re- 
moved every  few  days.  The  liquid  rubber  is  then  boiled 
and  purified,  and  stamped  into  pats  like  buckwheat  cakes 
for  exportation. 

A  great  deal  of  cocoanut  and  rice  is  grown  on  this 
island,  and  some  spices,  the  red  volcanic  soil  proving  very 
productive  for  them. 

The  estate  is  practically  self-supporting  and  self-suffi- 
cient; the  same  river  which  keeps  the  swimming  pool  al- 
ways clear  and  cold  runs  all  the  machinery  at  the  f  abriks, 
and  lights  the  bungalows.  The  estate  is  connected  by 
telephone  with  Batavia,  Buitenzorg,  and  with  other  es- 
tates, and  by  an  excellent  road  (built  and  kept  in  repair 
by  the  master's  own  people)  with  its  own  railway  sta- 
tion. It  has  its  own  carpenter  shop  for  the  building  of 
new  houses,  bridge  making,  and  sealing  tea  boxes,  and 


SINAGAR  353 


general  repair  work,  and  home  grown  timber  as  well  as 
labor  are  utilized.  Besides  having  his  own  large  stables, 
the  master  uses  his  own  milk,  butter,  cheese,  beef,  mutton, 
pork,  chickens,  geese,  eggs,  vegetables,  fruit,  flowers,  tea, 
coffee,  and  his  own  cigarettes  rolled  by  his  own  girls. 
Nearly  all  the  people  employed  upon  it  have  grown  up  on 
the  estate,  domestics  as  well  as  field  hands,  and  their  de- 
votion to  and  trust  in  the  master  is  very  touching. 

His  rifle,  which  has  accounted  for  five  tigers,  two  ele- 
phants, three  rhinoceroses,  eighteen  banteng,  six  leop- 
ards, one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  wild  boar,  and  one 
twenty-three  foot  python,  in  addition  to  numberless  small- 
er trophies,  is  addressed  by  an  honorific  title. 

The  crowning  pleasure  of  a  long  full  day  at  Sinagar  is 
to  walk  out  at  sunset  with  its  master  through  the  shining 
tea  gardens  and  the  toy  villages  of  his  people;  to  listen 
to  his  talk  about  the  life,  and  his  work  and  play ;  to  watch 
him  exchange  jokes  and  friendly  greetings  with  all  the 
dark-eyed  natives  who  pass.  Finally  to  end  up  at  the 
great  Sinagar  palm,  the  land  mark  and  name-giver  of  the 
estate,  and  look  out  across  the  green  and  luxuriant  valley 
over  miles  of  fields,  river,  banana  groves  and  kampongs, 
to  the  purple-sloped  summit  of  mighty  Salak,  clear-cut 
against  the  amber  sky.  The  twilight  air  is  as  soft  as  a 
maiden's  breath,  the  light  on  hill  and  sky  as  delicate  as 
her  blush,  and  more  than  ever  does  Sinagar  seem  an 
earthly  paradise. 

24.  THE   SAWBAW  OF  HSIPAW  AND  HIS  THIRTY-SEVEN 
WIVES. 

25.  SHOOTING  IN  THE  SHAN  HILLS. 

26.  THE  DURBAR  INVESTITURE  OF  1908. 

27.  IN  THE  JUNGLES  OF  COOCH  BEHAR.     See  letter  dat- 
ed February  4,  1908. 

28.  BLACK-BUCK  SHOOTING.     See  letter  dated  Febru- 
ary 19,  1908. 


354  EXTRACTS  PROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK 

29.  AFTEB  PANTHER.     See  letter  dated  March  13, 1908. 

30.  THE  RUINS  OF  MARTAND.    Ancient  India  has  noth- 
ing more  worthy  of  its  early  civilization  than  the  grand 
remains  in  Kashmir  which  now  feebly  excite  the  wonder 
of  the  few  European  tourists  and  are  the  pride  of  the 
Kashmir  Brahmins.     The  massive,  the  grotesque,  the  ele- 
gant in  architecture  may  be  admired  in  many  parts  of 
India,  but  nowhere  is  there  to  be  seen  the  counterpart  of 
the  classically  graceful  yet  symmetrically  massive  edi- 
fices of  Kashmir,  which  though  inferior  to  Palmyra  or 
Persepolis  in  stateliness,  to  the  Baruboedoer  and  the  Ang- 
kor in  size,  to  Luxor  and  Karnak  in  grandeur  and  to  Anu- 
radhpura  and  the  Pyramids  in  age  yet  are  in  beauty  and 
location  superior  to  any  of  these. 

Of  all  the  ruins,  Greek,  Chinese,  Hindoo,  and  Mogul 
which  stud  the  lovely  vale  the  most  satisfactory  to  me 
were  those  of  Martand.  High  upon  a  barren  hillside  it 
commands  a  broad  outlook  over  the  smiling  valley -rich 
fields,  shining  river,  grim  fortress-crowned  heights  and 
drowsy  hamlets.  Through  its  pure  classic  arches  marvel- 
ous glimpses  may  be  had  of  the  everlasting  hills  towering 
up  twenty-five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  and  seeming 
in  the  soft  hazy  air  which  hangs  like  a  shadowy  halo  over 
the  vale,  to  be  floating  among  the  clouds.  The  sun  is  al- 
ways shining,  and  the  sky  is  always  blue,  and  the  birds 
are  always  singing  in  this  happy  valley.  Wild  flowers 
have  found  a  home  in  the  sculptured  arches  of  the  temple, 
grass  has  grown  over  the  fallen  pillars  of  its  once  mag- 
nificent colonnade,  and  lizards  bask  in  the  sunlight  on  its 
trefoiled  arches.  The  silence  of  forgotten  splendor  casts 
a  spell  through  its  sanctuary  where  no  more  Brahmins 
bow  the  knee  to  Shiva. 

Rounded  by  years  its  song  has  died  away, 
Rich  in  the  simple  worship  of  a  day. 

In  regard  to  the  origin  and  worship  in  this,  the  finest 


THE  RUINS  OF  MART  AND  357 

of  the  Greco-Brahminical  ruins  of  Kashmir  I  quote  from 
an  eminent  Indian  archeologist. 

It  is  certain  that  nearly  all  the  existing  Kashmir  temples 
were  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  Shiva  and  enshrine  merely  a 
conical  stone -the  lingum  or  popular  symbol  of  that  divinity. 
The  interior  of  the  cell  or  sanctuary  is  seldom  more  than  ten 
or  twelve  feet  square ;  space  ample  enough  for  the  simple  form 
of  adoration  which  alone  is  required  by  Mahadeva  (Shiva) 
from  his  devotees.  They  sprinkle  water  on  the  sacred  symbol, 
face  it  round  with  measured  steps  and  finally  crown  It  with  a 
garland  of  flowers. 

The  drain  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  off  the  waste 
water  can  still  be  seen  in  Martaud,  being  a  projecting  cor- 
ner from  one  of  the  few  enormous  blocks  of  which  the 
building  is  composed.  Strengthening  this  internal  evi- 
dence as  to  the  purpose  of  the  building  I  may  add  that 
Hinduism  in  Kashmir  from  time  immemorial  has  been 
the  center  of  Shiva  worship  which  absorbed  to  itself  the 
primitive  serpent  or  Naga  worship  of  the  aboriginal 
Buddhistic  tribes.  In  many  places  this  combination  de- 
termined the  site  of  the  temples  which  were  placed  in  a 
pond  or  tank  supplied  by  springs,  the  special  abodes  of 
the  water  snake  gods,  whose  form  was  in  many  cases 
coiled  round  the  symbol  of  Shiva.  Of  such  a  type  is  the 
Lake  Temple  of  Pandrathan  whose  domed  roof  is  covered 
with  sculpture  of  such  a  purely  classic  design  that  "any 
uninitiated  person  who  saw  a  copy  of  it  on  paper  would 
at  once  take  it  for  a  sketch  from  a  Greek  or  Roman  orig- 
inal." At  Martand  a  natural  water-supply  was  impos- 
sible, but  a  tank  fed  by  a  canal  was  constructed  for  the 
purpose  of  sheltering  the  Naga. 

In  order  to  show  the  adaptation  of  Greek  art  to  its 
Himalayan    surroundings    and    the    Hindoo    religion    I 
wish  to  quote  the  following  verbatim  from  the  paper  on  the 
architecture  of  Kashmir  by  T.  S.  Grouse,  Esq.,  C.S.,  pub- 
lished in  the  Royal  Geographical  Society's  Transactions: 
Though  less  suggestive  of  Greek  influence  than  the  detached 
pillars  of  the  colonnades,  the  pilasters,  with  their  definitely 


358  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK         [Vol. 

proportioned  base,  shaft  and  capital,  the  square  architraves 
of  the  doorways  and  the  triangular  pediments  that  surmount 
them,  but  still  more  the  chastened  simplicity  of  outline  and 
the  just  subordination  of  merely  decorative  details  are  at  a 
glance  seen  to  be  classic  rather  than  oriental.     Beyond  the 
points  above  enumerated,  the  resemblance  ceases;  the  porches 
are  curved  into  a  bold  trefoiled  arch  of  similar  character  with 
English  Gothic  of  the  first  pointed  period  and  the  roof  instead 
of  being  flat  and  out  of  sight,  is  a  high-pitched  pyramid  broken 
however  into  two  compartments  by  a  horizontal  band  carved 
with  dentils  and  triglyphs.     In  short  the  adaptation  of  classic 
forms  was  complete  just  as  far  as  the  differences  of  climate 
and  the  conventionalities  of  religion  allowed.     In  the  sunny 
land  of  Greece  a  roof  was  felt  to  be  a  useless  encumbrance  and 
therefore  kept  out  of  sight ;  on  the  snowy  hills  of  Kashmir  a 
substantial  covering  overhead  was  above  all  things  to  be  desir- 
ed, hence  the  roof  became  a  prominent  feature  in  the  design. 
In  sculpture  the  influence  of  Greek  was  unfelt  since  the  archaic 
representations  of  the  Deity  were  too  sacred  to  admit  of  mod- 
ification and  were  reproduced  in  all  their  primitive  rudeness  in 
niches  and  on  panels  moulded  with  the  most  artistic  grace. 
To  me  the  most  suggestive  feature  of  the  temple  is  this 
predominance  of  Greek  outline.    It  is  provocative  of  sur- 
mise on  the  unsettled  point  as  to  whether  any  of  Alex- 
ander's successors  ever  actually  penetrated  thus  far,  or 
whether  their  arts  and  civilization  obtained  their  strong 
hold  on  a  people  even  then  highly  cultured  and  religious, 
without  their  actual  presence. 

As  regards  the  possible  date  of  Martand  the  colonnade 
is  distinctly  recorded  in  the  Raj  Tarangini,  as  the  work  of 
the  famous  King  Salitaditya,  who  reigned  from  699  to 
735  A.D.  From  the  same  authority,  though  the  interpre- 
tation admits  of  dispute,  it  has  been  gathered  that  the 
temple  itself  was  built  by  Ramaditya,  and  the  side  chapels 
or  at  least  one  of  them  by  Queen  Amritaprabha.  The 
date  of  Ramaditya 's  reign  is  involved  in  some  obscurity, 
but  the  safest  conclusion  is  that  he  died  in  the  first  half 
of  the  fifth  century  after  Christ.  But  whatever  its  date, 


one]  AYUTHIA  359 

to  have  seen  Martand  at  sunset  with  the  rosy  afterglow 
on  the  floating  snows  is  to  recall  its  youth  and  the  mem- 
ory of  the  intervening  years. 

0 !  to  see  it  at  sunset  -  when  warm  o  'er  the  Lake 

Its  splendors  at  parting  a  summer  eve  throws, 

Like  a  bride,  full  of  blushes,  when  lingering  to  take 

A  last  look  at  her  mirror  at  night  ere  she  goes ! 

When  the  shrines  through  the  foliage  are  gleaming  half  shown, 

And  each  hallows  the  hour  by  some  rites  of  its  own. 

Here  the  music  of  prayer  from  a  minaret  swells, 

Here  the  Magian  his  urn  full  of  incense,  is  swinging, 

And  here  at  the  altar,  a  zone  of  sweet  bells 

Round  the  waist  of  some  fair  Indian  dancer  is  ringing. 

Or  to  see  it  by  moonlight,  when  mellowly  shines 

The  light  o'er  its  palaces,  gardens,  and  shrines 

When  the  waterfalls  gleam,  like  a  quick-fall  of  stars, 

And  the  nightingale's  hymn  from  the  Isle  of  Chenars 

Is  broken  by  laughs  and  light  echoes  of  feet 

From  the  cool  shining  walks  where  the  young  people  meet. 

31.  AYUTHIA.  One  bright  June  morning  with  a  well- 
stocked  tiffin  basket,  Mr.  Snyder  and  I  started  off  ' '  into 
the  jungle  ' '  as  the  European  residents  in  Bangkok  phrase 
it,  to  visit  Ayuthia,  the  ancient  capital  of  Siam.  It  is 
strange  how  few  not  only  of  the  occasional  travellers  who 
visit  Siam  but  of  the  foreign  community  ever  push  in  to 
the  interior  to  study  the  peasant  and  visit  those  two  won- 
derfully interesting  old  cities,  Ayuthia  and  Angkor.  Mr. 
George  Bacon  in  his  Land  of  the  White  Elephant  justly 
remarks  that  "  So  completely  does  the  interest  of  the 
kingdom  centre  at  Bangkok  that  few  travelers  ever  set 
foot  beyond  the  walls  of  that  city." 

The  train  took  us  through  low  swampy  country,  inter- 
sected with  canals  and  checkered  with  numberless  paddy- 
fields.  Houses  were  perched  upon  bamboo  stilts,  for  the 
low  land  is  frequently  under  water  after  the  rains.  Small 
settlements  were  dotted  about  here  and  there  upon  islets 
of  higher  ground  under  the  shade  of  their  groves  of  cocoa- 


360  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK         [Vol. 

nut  palms  and  bananas.  The  advent  of  the  train  at  some 
of  these  wayside  stations  was  most  amusing  as  the  Siam- 
ese, though  usually  a  placid  enough,  betel-nut-chewing  in- 
dividual has  not  yet  thoroughly  accustomed  himself  to 
this  busy  puffing  invader  of  the  rural  solitudes.  The 
locomotives,  by  the  way,  as  well  as  the  steam  launches  on 
the  river,  burn  wood  fuel.  Graceful  sampans  and  digni- 
fied junks  with  broad  yellow,  brown,  or  green  sails  were 
slipping  down  or  being  laboriously  towed  up  the  inland 
waterways,  loaded  with  the  rich  produce  of  the  ' '  Gran- 
ary of  the  East." 

Siam  is  a  land  of  contrasts  and  paradoxes  if  there  ever 
was  one.  In  no  other  corner  of  the  globe  does  the  slum- 
berous, storied  past  mingle  so  closely  with  the  most  ad- 
vanced institutions  and  modern  inventions.  Hospitals 
with  the  latest  medical  appliances  housed  in  moss-grown 
temple  wats,  railway  stations  in  picturesquely  crumbling 
forts,  and  the  graceful,  highly  decorated  and  ornately 
carved  royal  barge  of  his  ancestors  moored  at  a  tumble- 
down wharf  in  striking  juxtaposition  to  the  perfectly  ap- 
pointed steam  yacht  of  the  king.  Some  of  the  contrasts 
are  very  sensational  and  bizarre.  Not  the  least  of  these 
clashes  between  the  old  and  the  new  regime  was  one  which 
I  narrowly  missed  seeing.  Only  a  day  or  two  before  our 
journey  (or  rather,  a  night  or  two,  as  the  encounter  took 
place  about  ten  o'clock)  an  elephantess  charged  a  double- 
header  train,  derailing  the  whole  thing  and  smashing  an 
engine  and  several  cars.  The  footprints  showed  that  she 
had  a  young  one  with  her  and  I  suppose  when  she  saw 
that  terrible  puffing  monster  with  gleaming  eyes  heading 
straight  across  the  low  swampy  jungle  for  her  little  dar- 
ling she  decided  to  settle  at  once  and  for  all  who  was  to 
be  supreme  in  the  land.  ' '  The  Jobberwock,  with  eyes  of 
flame,  came  whiffling  through  the  tulgy  wood,  and  burbled 
as  it  came."  Brave  old  lady!  Her  splendid  charge  cost 
her  life,  but  let  us  hope  that  the  child  of  such  a  mother 


one]  AYUTHIA  361 

will  grow  up  to  be  a  sweet  and  lovely  pachyderm,  as  cour- 
ageous as  her  lamented  parent  but  with  more  tact. 

After  a  run  of  about  four  hours,  the  last  giving  us  fre- 
quent views  of  the  turbid  palm-fringed  Menam,  we  caught 
sight  of  some  ruined  brick  pagodas  standing  in  the  fields 
and  realized  that  we  had  reached  our  destination.  These 
remains  upon  the  east  bank  are  the  ruins  of  the  city 
founded  by  the  old  Cambodians.  The  later  Siamese  cap- 
ital, Ayuthia,  was  built  upon  an  island  formed  by  two 
branches  of  the  river  and  split  up  still  further  by  a  dozen 
smaller  channels.  Thick  jungle  now  covers  the  island 
and  in  its  midst  are  the  ruins  of  the  temples  which  were 
the  wonder  and  glory  of  Ayuthia  in  the  days  when  her 
rulers  were  the  arbiters  of  all  Indo-China.  Year  by  year 
their  walls  are  riven  asunder  by  the  roots  of  the  Bo-trees, 
once  jealously  tended  by  their  yellow- robed  priesthood, 
till,  when  the  destruction  is  all  but  complete  the  interlac- 
ing stems  once  more  bind  together  the  shattered  masses 
and  preserve  them.  Nor  is  all  this  desolation  due  solely 
to  the  ravages  of  time,  for  during  the  sack  of  Ayuthia 
very  many  pagodas  were  overthrown  by  the  Burmans  and 
thousands  of  old  bronze  and  stone  Buddhas  were  broken 
in  pieces,  either  wantonly  or  in  the  hope  of  finding  treas- 
ure. There  amongst  the  piles  of  brick  and  matted  creep- 
ers these  headless  images  lie,  till  some  European  bears 
them  away  to  place  in  his  collection. 

Disembarking  from  the  train  we  carried  our  basket 
down  to  the  jetty  and  soon  settled  ourselves  comfortably 
in  a  sampan,  the  only  practical  vehicle  for  these  Venetian 
cities  of  the  Menam.  First  we  drifted  down  stream  to 
visit  Pha  Beyo,  a  convert  of  Snyder,  who  with  his  bux- 
om full-bosomed  daughter  was  living  in  a  remarkably 
ramshackle  house  (belonging  to  Snyder)  on  the  edge  of 
the  steep  river  bank  and  fairly  hidden  from  the  view  of 
passers-by  by  a  heavy  curtain  of  tropical  growth.  After 
a  short  stop  here  to  inspect  some  repairs  which  Snyder 


362  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK 

was  having  made  with  an  eye  to  later  usage  of  the  place 
as  an  outpost  for  the  gospel,  our  sturdy  oarsman,  with 
long  sweeping  strokes  of  his  single  blade  took  us  up 
stream,  keeping  well  in  under  the  shadowy  banks  to 
avoid  the  full  sweep  of  the  current.  Turning  presently 
into  a  side  stream  we  found  ourselves  in  one  of  the  main 
thoroughfares  of  the  present  city.  It  seemed  that  it  was 
market-day,  and  every  sampan  had  its  tiny  fore  and  aft 
decks  heeped  with  a  tempting  array  of  vegetables,  fruit, 
fish,  sarongs,  and  other  wares.  Such  a  babel  of  voices, 
jostling,  and  exchanging  of  cargoes,  and  the  marvel  of 
it  all  was  that  nothing  ever  seemed  to  slip  into  the  muddy, 
swiftly  flowing  river  (except  little  naked  boys  who  were 
in  and  out  of  the  boats  all  the  time).  We  threaded  our 
way  through  this  busy,  voluble  maze  of  traffic  without 
pause  (though  I  gazed  my  fill)  and  went  on  to  the  home 
of  another  friend  of  Snyder  where  we  enjoyed  a  cup  of 
tea  and  made  quite  a  long  visit.  Here,  in  this  little  two- 
roomed  affair  on  stilts  was  the  place  to  see  the  simple  life 
of  the  people.  Here  they  passed  the  same  tranquil  days 
their  ancestors  had  done  for  generations  before  them, 
cooking  their  rice  on  a  rude  soapstone  hearth  and  pick- 
ing ripe  bananas  from  the  trees  which  fairly  thrust  arms 
in  at  the  window. 

But  however  seductive  might  be  the  life  of  the  present, 
the  memory  of  the  glorious  past  lured  us  on  and  after 
draining  a  cool  refreshing  cocoanut,  pressed  upon  us  at 
parting,  we  dropped  down  stream  again  to  where  a  mas- 
sive tower  rose  sheer  from  the  surrounding  greenery. 
The  view  from  this  watch-tower  over  ruin-studded  plain 
and  jungle  was  superb  and  without  it  I  should  never  have 
realized  the  extent  of  the  ancient  city.  Near  the  foot  of 
the  tower  was  a  museum,  a  prison  for  convicts  who  were 
put  to  work  clearing  up  the  jungle,  and  the  offices  of  the 
governor  of  the  province.  This  latter  official,  a  very 
learned  archeologist  who  was  given  this  billet  that  he 
might  devote  much  of  his  time  to  the  ruins,  himself  pro- 


AYUTHIA  365 


cured  us  the  keys  of  the  museum  and  told  us  about  some 
of  his  more  recent  '  *  finds. ' ' 

After  an  all-too-short  hour  and  a  quarter  to  prepare 
ourselves  more  intelligently  for  the  afternoon,  we  visited 
the  elephant  stockade.  It  is  now  grass-grown  and  dreary 
but  on  the  occasion  of  the  Annual  Eoyal  Elephant  Drive, 
is  the  scene  of  one  of  the  most  absorbing  spectacles  which 
barbarism  has  bequeathed  our  generation.  Into  this 
strong  enclosure  is  driven  the  great  herd  of  wild  ele- 
phants which  the  hunters  have  collected  for  months  past  in 
the  up-country  jungles  and  carefully  brought  down  to  the 
city.  The  king  sits  on  a  raised  throne  with  the  peers  of 
the  realm  and  his  foreign  guests  about  him,  while  meaner 
folk  find  humbler  places  on  the  covered  stands,  protected 
from  the  arena  by  a  double  row  of  stout  timbers.  And 
then  the  fun  begins,  for  many  of  the  wild  elephants  are 
tricky  and  vicious  and  all  must  be  captured  and  roped  by 
the  clever  acrobatic  hunters,  aided  largely  by  the  well- 
trained  band  of  tame  elephants  who  bully  and  hustle  their 
jungle  cousins  about  in  anything  but  a  friendly  spirit. 
Occasional  white  elephants  (a  rather  dirty  white  at  that) 
are,  as  everyone  knows,  sacred  in  Siam  and  are  trans- 
ferred directly  to  sumptuous  quarters  in  the  royal  stables 
where  I  saw  five  of  the  lazy  dandies  toying  with  banana 
stalks,  and  sweet  grass.  They  play  a  very  important 
and  picturesque  part  in  the  state  and  religious  proces- 
sions of  the  kingdom. 

A  small  abandoned  temple  hard  by,  tempted  us  with  its 
shady  courtyard  and  we  spread  our  tiffin  out  upon  its 
mossy  flag-stones.  Just  as  we  were  topping  off  with 
custard-apples  and  some  luscious  mangoes,  a  party  of 
small  boys,  freed  from  the  state  school  (which  are  rapid- 
ly supplanting  the  old  monastic  schools  throughout  the 
land),  made  bold  to  enter  our  enclosure  for  a  game  of 
ball.  Snyder  who  speaks  Siamese,  hailed  them  and  all 
were  soon  gathered  around  gurgling  in  open-mouthed  as- 


366  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK 

tonishment  at  sleight-o-hand  tricks  which  seemed  to  place 
me  in  the  class  with  their  rapidly  vanishing  magicians. 

Tiffin  over,  we  tramped  through  jungle  byways  to  the 
enormous  ruined  Wat  Somorakot  from  under  whose  roof- 
less bawt  a  great  bronze  Buddha  gazes  dreamily  out  over 
crumbling  walls.  The  seated  figure  is  thirty-five  feet 
high,  made  of  brick  overlaid  with  plates  of  bronze  and  is 
raised  another  twenty  feet  by  an  imposing  brick  pedestal. 
From  here  we  went  to  Wat  Chern  in  the  dim  recesses  of 
whose  inner  shrine  we  could  make  out  the  dull  gleamings 
of  its  mighty  fifty  foot  gilded  Buddha.  The  effect  is  very 
impressive  as  the  only  light  comes  from  a  small  round 
window  high  up  in  the  back  wall  and  falls  like  a  halo 
round  the  Buddha's  head.  Our  next  visit  was  to  a  fairly 
well  preserved  temple  of  a  distinctly  Dravidian  type.  Its 
high  square  carved  pillars,  steep  tiled  roof,  and  long  nar- 
row courtyards  recalled  those  of  southern  India,  while 
every  conceivable  niche  or  ledge  was  crowded  with  count- 
less images  of  all  sizes  and  materials  left  by  pious  wor- 
shipers. The  temples  of  Ayuthia,  however,  are  legion 
and  can  neither  be  all  mentioned  now  or  visited  in  a  sin- 
gle day.  That  great  traveller,  Sir  John  Bowring  said : 

The  ancient  city  of  Ayuthia  whose  pagodas  and  palaces  were 
the  object  of  so  much  laudation  from  ancient  travellers,  and 
which  was  called  the  Oriental  Venice  from  the  abundance  of 
its  canals  and  the  beauty  of  its  public  buildings,  is  now  almost 
wholly  in  ruins,  its  towers  and  temples  whelmed  in  the  dust 
and  covered  with  rank  vegetation. 
Mandelsloe  reported  at  the  time  of  his  visit  that : 

The  city  of  Ayuthia  is  built  upon  an  island  in  the  River 
Meinam.  It  is  the  ordinary  residence  of  the  King  of  Siam,  hav- 
ing several  very  fair  streets  with  spacious  channels  regularly 
cut.  The  suburbs  are  on  both  sides  of  the  river  which  as  well  as 
the  city  itself  are  adorned  with  many  temples  and  palaces,  of 
the  first  of  which  there  are  above  three  hundred  within  the 
city,  distinguished  by  their  gilt  steeples  or  rather  pyramids, 
and  afford  a  glorious  prospect  at  a  distance.  The  houses  are,  as 


I  t> 


AYUTHIA  369 


all  over  the  Indies,  but  indifferently  built,  and  covered  with 

tiles.     The  royal  palace  is  equal  to  a  large  city. 

Ferdinando  Mendez  Pinto  made  the  number  of  inhab- 
itants of  this  city  amount  (improbably)  to  four  hundred 
thousand  families.  It  was  looked  upon  as  impregnable 
by  reason  of  the  overflowing  of  the  river  every  six 
months. 

The  ancient  city  was  several  leagues  in  circumference. 
Amidst  the  broken  walls  of  palaces  and  temples  are  colos- 
sal statues.  The  annals  of  Siarn  relate  that  in  the  found- 
ing of  one  of  these  statues  twenty  thousand  pounds  of 
copper,  two  thousand  pounds  of  silver  and  eight  hundred 
pounds  of  gold  were  employed.  The  battlemented  walls 
of  the  city  are  overturned  -  thick  and  impenetrable  masses 
of  weeds,  bush,  grass,  and  trees  tenanted  by  bats  and  vul- 
tures cover  the  vast  desolation.  In  the  midst  of  the 
heaps  of  rubbish,  treasures  are  often  discovered.  The 
new  city  of  Ayuthia  surrounds  the  ancient  site.  Its  pop- 
ulation is  about  forty  thousand  at  present -mostly  float- 
ing. At  a  league's  distance  from  the  city  on  the  north- 
ern side  is  a  majestic  edifice  called  The  Golden  Mountain, 
built  A.D.  1387.  It  is  a  pyramid  about  four  hundred  feet 
high,  each  side  having  a  staircase  by  which  large  galleries 
surrounding  the  building  are  mounted.  From  the  third 
stage,  the  view  is  splendid.  The  final  dome  is  elevated 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  galleries  of  this 
stage  and  terminates  in  a  gilded  spire.  There  are  four 
corridors  or  tunnel-like  passages  by  which  the  dome  is 
entered,  and  in  its  centre  is  a  gilded  image  of  Gautama 
Buddha. 

Ayuthia  was  formerly  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
cities  of  the  east.  The  spires  of  its  pagodas  and  pyra- 
mids, blackened  by  time  still  tower  above  the  magnificent 
trees  which  grow  amidst  the  masses  of  ruins  they  over- 
shadow. There  is  one  sacred  spire  of  immense  height 
and  size  which  is  kept  in  some  kind  of  repair  and  which 
is  annually  visited  by  the  king.  It  is  situated  about  four 


370  EXTRACTS  FROM  SKETCH  NOTE  BOOK 

miles  from  the  present  town,  and  surrounded  by  paddy 
fields  and  swampy  jungles.  As  there  are  no  roads  it  can 
only  be  reached  by  boat  or  elephant  and  is  slowly  crum- 
bling to  the  storied  dust  of  a  forgotten  splendor. 

32.  BANTENG  HUNTING.     See  letter  of  July  1,  1908. 

33.  FAIBYLAND.     See  letter  of  July  1, 1908. 

34.  THE  PAPPANDAJAN.     See  letter  of  July  1, 1908. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY 

STEAMSHIP  SHISTANA  MAKU,  JULY  10,  1907.  .  .  Got 
talking  today  with  Captain  Kawara,  who  is  very  pleasant, 
and  told  me  quite  a  little  about  Japanese  customs,  man- 
ners, jiu  jitsu,  etc.  We  exchange  the  officers'  salute  now, 
whenever  we  pass.  I  have  gleaned  quite  a  number  of 
phrases  and  idioms  from  him,  the  missionary,  and  other 
Japs.  Later  I  got  into  conversation  with  this  Japanese 
Christian  Missionary,  Juji  Nakada,  who  is  very  well  edu- 
cated and  widely  traveled.  .  .  Among  other  things  he 
told  us  how  the  old  Samurai  spirit,  a  sort  of  Stoic  or 
Spartan  attitude,  is  being  fused  into  and  with  the  new 
Christian  spirit.  The  four  classes  now  existent  in  Japan 
are:  first,  the  Imperials,  second,  the  Nobles,  third,  the 
Samurai,  or  fighting  class,  and  fourth,  the  peasants. 
There  is  no  distinction  of  privilege  between  the  last  two 
now,  however,  and  most  of  the  soldiers  for  the  last  war 
were  drafted  from  the  peasant  class;  but  the  Samurai 
still  remains  the  most  strenuous  and  able  social  strata  in 
the  empire -corresponding  to  the  French  middle-class, 
and  the  English  gentlemen.  Most  of  the  great  nobles, 
statesmen  and  generals  have  arisen  from  their  ranks. 
The  peerage  is  creative  now,  and  the  army,  since  1900, 
requires  only  a  two  year  term.  The  navy  is  entirely  com- 
posed of  volunteers.  Newspapers  are  very  widely  read, 
and  even  the  country  people  are  up  to  date  in  matters  of 
world  progress.  At  present,  he  says,  there  is  consider- 
able anti- American  feeling,  but  this  is  not  personal.  He 
advised  us  to  get  an  introduction  to  Count  Okuman,  the 
great  minister  of  foreign  affairs  and  the  head  of  this 
party,  through  a  friend  of  his  to  whom  Johnny  has  a  let- 


372  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

ter.  Have  been  studying  Japanese  and  reading  Gil  Bias, 
Shelley,  the  Oxford  Book  of  English  Verse,  and  guide- 
books galore,  also  playing  quoits,  shuffle-board,  tramp- 
ing the  deck,  doing  stunts,  etc.  This  seaboard  life  is  de- 
lightful, you  have  plenty  of  time  to  dream,  plan,  phil- 
osophize, doze,  learn  poetry,  and  croon  in  the  sunlight, 
and  if  that  isn't  a  good  combination  for  a  summer's  day, 
I  don't  know  what  is.  The  food  on  board  is  wonderful 
and  I  am  trying  all  the  Japanese,  oriental,  and  even  Rus- 
sian dishes  they  give  us.  So  far  everything  has  been 
most  palatable,  particularly  the  hashes,  curries,  and  pil- 
laus. 

JULY  11.  .  .  Have  been  talking  with  Nakada  again. 
He  is  going  to  outline  a  very  pleasant  rickshaw  trip  for 
us  through  the  mountain  district  of  central  Japan,  where 
he  says  the  life  of  old  historic  Japan  can  be  seen  best. 
He  also  says  he  will  climb  Fuji  with  us,  and  recommends 
a  canoe  trip  down  the  rapids  of  the  Tenju  Eiver.  In  two 
years  he  thinks  the  existing  Americano-Japanese  treaty 
will  have  expired,  and  there  will  probably  be  a  new  one 
admitting  Japanese  into  the  United  States.  If  not,  he 
hints,  with  a  charming  smile,  that  there  may  be  trouble. 
I,  however,  cannot  agree  with  him;  of  course  there  will 
have  to  be  a  new  treaty,  and  it  will  probably  settle  a  great 
many  questions  such  as  our  joint  position  in  Pacific 
waters,  and  attitude  towards  the  Philippines;  but  I  do 
not  think  it  will  be  possible  for  us  ever  to  admit  the  Jap- 
anese coolie  class  into  America  with  any  degree  of  safety 
to  the  country.  It  is  quite  true  that  we  have  plenty  of 
room  for  them,  but  why  populate  the  country  with  unde- 
sirables, and  degenerate  the  stock,  when  by  waiting  we  can 
keep  up  the  American  type.  As  to  war -Japan  is  too 
poor  and  would  lose  her  all  important  credit  with  Eng- 
land while  we  don't  want  it  surely.  At  first,  he  says,  the 
Japs  all  blamed  President  Koosevelt  for  the  strict  immi- 
gration laws,  believing  the  government  centralized  and 


one]  STEAMSHIP  SHINANA  MARU  373 

him  an  autocratic  ruler ;  but  now  that  they  understand  the 
state  powers,  they  are  content  to  wait  for  a  new  treaty, 
meanwhile  calling  the  American  government  futile  and 
provincial !  He  further  explained  jiu  jitsu  to  me.  It  is  a 
system  of  mental  as  well  as  physical  culture ;  perfect  self- 
control  is  taught.  For  instance  the  teacher  may  perhaps 
leave  a  student  in  meditation,  and  then  suddenly  spring 
in  and  hit  him  on  the  cheek.  If  he  seems  at  all  flustered, 
or  even  winks -no  good.  The  idea  is  not  to  conquer, 
but  to  keep  from  being  conquered.  You  do  not  try  to 
throw  a  man  as  we  do,  upon  his  back,  but  when  you  are 
thrown,  you  must  land  in  a  certain  way,  otherwise  you 
lose  the  bout.  In  combat  with  a  larger  or  stronger  antag- 
onist, the  idea  is  self-sacrifice  "  You  cut  my  skin -I  cut 
your  flesh.  You  cut  my  flesh  - 1  cut  your  bone ' '  etc. 
The  Jap  will  perhaps  throw  himself  at  his  antagonist's 
feet,  hoping  to  be  stumbled  over  and  thus  obtain  a  fall. 
Strength  is  concentrated  in  the  abdomen.  You  can  thus 
tell  a  jiu  jitsu  exponent  by  his  peculiar  walk,  which  keeps 
the  abdomen  and  waist  stiff,  and  doesn't  bend  the  knee 
any  more  than  possible -a  sort  of  waddle.  The  idea  is 
to  preserve  the  strength  already  there,  a  strange  contrast 
to  our  notion  which  is  to  continually  strengthen  all  parts 
by  exercise  and  use.  He  was  much  interested  in  our 
description  of  a  shell  and  crew,  and  boat-racing,  which 
also  demands  the  concentration  of  strength  mainly  in  the 
abdomen,  back,  and  legs.  What  we  Americans  know  as 
jiu  jitsu,  the  Japs  call  policemen  jiu  jitsu,  and  despise 
it  since  it  aims  to  conquer  and  maim  the  antagonist. 
It  is  practised  only  by  policemen,  students,  and  rowdies. 
The  students  in  the  big  cities  are  becoming  very  de- 
generate and  dandified,  but  those  in  the  country  are 
still  hardy,  strenuous,  and  gruff,  though  equally  eager 
to  learn.  All  ape  foreigners,  more  or  less.  Another  im- 
portant element  in  jiu  jitsu  is  the  constant  and  ready 
politeness  which  it  inculcates,  particularly  toward  the 
masters  and  those  who  have  been  studying  longest.  It 


374  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

takes  about  two  years  to  get  a  diploma.  We  compared 
this  with  boxing,  and  our  friend  said  that  in  a  free-for-all 
between  a  boxer  and  an  exponent  of  jiu  jitsu,  the  latter 
would  have  no  chance  unless  he  could  come  quickly  to 
close  quarters,  in  which  case  he  would  probably  win,  as 
there  are  many  tricks  and  methods  of  breaking  bones,  etc. 
We  then  spoke  of  wrestling,  and  I  showed  him  a  little  of 
the  American  method,  as  I  was  on  the  squad  at  Yale  for 
two  years.  The  Jap  wrestlers  are  all  fat  heavy  men,  and  it 
is  a  very  slow  process  with  them.  Our  friend  told  us  that 
a  bout  between  a  wrestler  and  a  jiu  jitsuer  was  very 
amusing,  as  it  is  in  a  roped-off  enclosure  out  of  which  the 
former  must  throw  the  latter  to  win.  Naturally  the  jiu 
jitsuer  springs  upon  the  wrestler,  and  clings  to  every 
limb,  muscle,  and  roll  of  fat  that  he  can. 

The  Shinto  religion  is  dying  out  in  Japan,  as  a  religion, 
but  the  priests  are  trying  to  make  it  a  compulsory  state  af- 
fair so  that  the  Christians  cannot  preach  against  it.  The 
principal  tenets  are  loyalty  to  the  emperor,  obedience  to 
parents,  and  ancestor  and  hero  worship.  The  Samurai 
spirit  is  being  infused  into  this  also.  Buddhism,  though 
not  native,  has  made  large  gains  in  Japan.  One  sect  of 
this  religion  in  particular,  embraces  nearly  a  third  of  the 
population  in  its  ranks.  The  imperial  race,  the  oldest 
dynasty  now  reigning  in  the  world,  is  not  of  native  Japan- 
ese stock,  but  is  thought  to  be  Jewish.  The  sacred  pos- 
sessions of  the  imperial  family  are  a  sword,  a  mirror, 
and  a  pearl.  Although  the  so-called  imperial  race  is 
supposed  to  have  entered  from  Korea,  yet  these  pos- 
sessions which  the  ancestor  of  the  present  emperor 
brought  with  him,  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  genera- 
tions ago,  are  of  a  distinctly  Semitic  nature.  The  sword 
is  a  Damascus  blade,  the  mirror  has  a  Chaldean  inscrip- 
tion on  its  back,  and  the  pearl  is  unmistakably  of  the  Red 
Sea.  These  facts  are  significant,  and  obviously  prove  that 
the  ubiquitous  lost  tribe  of  Israel  has  been  run  to  earth 
yet  again!  The  cheek  bones  of  the  imperial  family  are 


one]  STEAMSHIP  SHINANA  MARU  375 

higher,  and  they  are  taller  than  most  of  the  other  Japs, 
and  they  still  observe  many  of  the  religious  customs 
which  are  reminiscent  of  the  Jews,  such  as  the  dedication 
of  the  children  at  the  temple  and  the  feast  of  garlands 
with  bread  eaten  the  day  after,  standing.  The  Ainus, 
who  live  in  the  north,  are  very  hairy,  and  where  they  have 
intermarried,  it  often  crops  out  several  generations  later. 

JULY  12,  1907.  Fogg}7  again  this  morning.  Log  at 
noon,  latitude,  50°- 52°  north;  longitude,  142°- 33°  west; 
distance  traveled  today,  371  miles;  from  Seattle,  770; 
from  Yokohama,  3,490.  Barometer,  30.38 ;  temperature  of 
the  air,  52°  Fahrenheit;  and  the  water  50°  Fahrenheit. 
Had  quite  a  talk  with  our  Japanese  friend  Nakada  San 
about  Japanese  family  life,  system,  and  morals.  With 
them  he  says,  among  other  things,  the  family  is  the  key- 
note around  which  everything  centers.  They  marry 
both  to  get  children  for  the  family,  and  because  it 
is  of  service  to  the  state.  After  marriage  they  all  live  to- 
gether with  their  parents,  and  everything  is  done  to  keep 
up  the  good  name  of  the  family.  The  children  learn  early 
who  their  great  ancestors  were,  what  So-and-so  did,  etc., 
and  it  inspires  them  with  love  and  pride  for  their  family. 
Here  in  America  we  are  too  individualistic.  We  marry 
for  ourselves,  because  a  passing  fancy  makes  us  believe 
we  are  in  love.  Of  course  one  doesn't  want  to  go  to  the 
other  extreme,  and  pick  a  wife  like  a  horse  or  cow,  because 
she  is  healthy,  but  I  believe  that  more  should  be  made  of 
home  for  family  life.  For  instance,  in  the  smart  set,  par- 
ticularly, children  are  considered  a  nuisance.  The  couple 
go  in  for  the  best  time  they  can  individually  have,  they 
seldom  live  in  the  old  homestead  or  gather  around  the  an- 
cestral penates  to  worship,  but  want  to  have  a  new  house 
of  their  own.  .  .  Then  too  little  here  is  thought  of  the 
family's  good  name:  divorces,  scandals,  nouveau-riche 
marriages,  or  marriages  with  actresses  and  French  maids, 
all  tarnish  the  family  escutcheon.  Another  moral  and 


376  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

criminal  offence  which  is  increasing  with  us  and  in  Eu- 
rope, is  the  killing  of  children  prior  to  birth.  This  is  al- 
most as  bad  as  the  well  known  Russian  practice  of  not 
marrying  at  all,  which  is  becoming  general  among  the 
young  officers.  ' '  Why  marry,  and  have  your  wife  stolen 
by  some  one  else,"  they  argue,  "  when  it  is  so  much  easier 
to  steal  a  brother  officer's  wife!"  Nine-tenths  of  the 
prostitutes  in  Japan,  according  to  my  missionary  friend, 
began  this  life  to  save  the  family  honor.  The  brother  or 
father  is  in  debt,  and  as  bankruptcy  is  the  worst  disgrace 
that  can  happen  to  a  Japanese,  the  girl  goes  and  leases  her- 
self to  a  public  house  of  shame,  and  gives  the  money  to 
clear  the  family  name.  Of  course  by  the  end  of  their  term, 
many  get  hardened  and  stay  where  they  are,  but  lots  don't. 
Individual  morality  may  be  low,  in  Japan,  but  civic  and 
family  honor  run  high.  At  the  declaration  of  war  it  is 
said  that  thousands  of  Japanese  girls,  who  had  been 
living  with  Russians,  came  home.  They  would  not  serve 
their  country's  foes,  and  many  stole  maps  and  plans  from 
their  masters,  which  proved  of  great  help  to  their  country. 
When  "Admiral  Togo's  Heroes"  were  in  England, 
many  of  them  wanted  to  drink  and  have  a  good  time,  but 
the  captain  said  * '  Remember  to  keep  clean  the  good  name 
of  Japan ; ' '  and  every  one  of  those  rough  sailors  toed  the 
mark.  The  work  of  the  Japanese  women  as  colliers  and 
nurses  during  the  war,  is  a  good  example  of  fidelity,  cour- 
age, and  patriotism.  Another  example  of  Japanese  stoi- 
cism is  the  way  they  pick  out  young  officers  for  promotion 
in  a  battle.  Those  who  seem  least  moved  by  the  carnage, 
and  are  the  most  cold-blooded,  are  marked  out  as  promis- 
ing men  by  their  chiefs.  General  Kuroki,  for  instance, 
was  a  recorder  of  the  slain  as  a  young  lieutenant  during 
the  Civil  War  thirty  years  ago,  and  his  iron  courage  and 
coolness  was  clearly  shown  as  he  stooped  and  peered 
about  in  a  hail  of  bullets,  to  see  who  were  dead,  who 
wounded,  and  who  still  were  left,  that  he  might  record  it 
in  his  little  book  and  report  to  his  superiors. 


one]  STEAMSHIP  SHINANA  MAKU  377 

Captain  Kawara  is  a  well  known  personage,  I  find.  He 
made  a  speech  at  the  Fourth  of  July  celebration  at  Seat- 
tle. He  is  certainly  a  very  courteous  and  interesting  man. 
This  afternoon  he  showed  us  several  books  of  pictures, 
mostly  taken  during  the  Boxer  campaign  and  the  late 
war;  most  interesting  and  instructive,  particularly  those 
showing  the  beheading  of  some  boxers,  the  big  guns  on 
two  hundred  and  three  meter  hill,  some  Russian  battle- 
ships ' '  Hobsonizing ' '  Port  Arthur  harbor,  Russian 
prisoners,  hospitals  and  Japanese  nurses. 

SUNDAY,  JULY  14.  Fire  drill  this  morning  at  ten- 
thirty.  Still  foggy.  Service  at  eleven  o'clock  conducted 
by  Nakada  San.  He  spoke  very  interestingly  about  the 
power  of  Christianity  to  change  the  spirit  in  connection 
with  "  Saved  by  Grace."  Most  of  the  better  heathen  or 
so-called  pagan  religions  have  a  sufficient  moral  code. 
What  we  think  wrong,  they  do  also,  and  many  of  them 
live  up  to  their  code  as  well  as  we  do,  but  except  for  the 
Shin  sect  of  Buddhism  -  which  is  surprisingly  like  Chris- 
tianity, having  in  its  tenets  both  justification  by  faith  and 
salvation  by  grace -none  of  them  have  this  softening  of 
the  spirit,  the  spirit  of  the  cross,  to  turn  the  other  cheek. 
He  said  that  for  a  long  while  he  felt  that  physical  and  men- 
tal training  would  give  him  this  spirit,  and  he  took  his  di- 
ploma in  jiu  jitsu  at  the  expense  of  the  Theological  School ; 
but  while  he  learned  complete  self  control,  the  old  warlike 
Samurai  spirit  which  had  been  inbred  in  him  for  centuries 
was  still  there  below,  flesh  of  his  flesh,  and  bone  of  his 
bone,  and  it  was  not  until  he  gave  everything  up  to  Christ 
and  consecrated  his  life  to  the  gospel  that  he  got  true 
peace  of  spirit.  I  talked  with  him  afterwards  about  the 
different  Buddhist  sects,  and  the  spread  of  Christianity 
in  Japan.  While  there  are  only  about  eighty  thousand 
Christians  among  the  forty  odd  millions  of  Japs,  they 
have  a  great  leavening  influence. 

Log  at  noon,  latitude  52°-  52°  north ;  longitude,  156°-  24° 


378  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

west ;  distance  traveled  today  260  miles ;  1,293  miles  from 
port,  and  2,967  from  Yokohama.  Barometer,  30.30 ;  tem- 
perature, air  51°  Fahrenheit;  water  51°  Fahrenheit. 

We  Americans  were  served  a  Japanese  luncheon  today, 
by  special  request.  The  dishes  were  already  at  our 
places  when  we  came.  I  ordered  a  bottle  of  sake  for  the 
crowd,  to  keep  up  the  flavor,  and  it  proved  very  good. 
First  I  tried  a  sort  of  lentil  soup.  We  were  allowed  to 
drink  this.  Then  we  had  fish,  spiced  bits  of  chicken, 
queer  looking  vegetables  in  hot  water,  coleslaw,  raw 
onions,  bean  paste,  raw  fish,  queer  nuts,  and  delicious  tea. 
Afterwards  came  rice,  and  I  got  away  with  four  bowls, 
I  grew  so  adept  with  chop-sticks  that  I  could  hardly  swal- 
low fast  enough.  It  is  quite  the  thing  to  pour  a  cup  of 
tea  into  the  remains  of  your  last  rice  bowl,  and  then  drink 
it ;  also  very  au  fait  to  loudly  smack  your  lips  when  you 
like  a  thing.  Juji  Nakada  San  told  us  some  of  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  his  life,  which  has  certainly  been  an  interesting 
one.  At  one  time  penniless,  he  crossed  from  New  York 
to  Liverpool  as  a  cow  boy,  in  a  cattleship,  where,  at  the 
discovery  of  the  fact  that  he  was  a  missionary,  he  led  a 
very  hard  life;  but  when  he  landed,  thanks  to  his  name 
(he  is  quite  a  lion,  and  a  well  known  figure  in  missionary 
circles)  and  letters  of  introduction,  he  was  royally  enter- 
tained. He  went  back  to  Japan  as  a  waiter,  and  his  ac- 
count of  how  the  attitude  of  the  passengers  toward  him 
changed  when  they  learned  that  he  was  a  friend  of  the 
ambassador,  who  was  on  board,  and  of  how  he  ministered 
jiu  jitsu  and  a  salutary  reprimand  to  an  obnoxious  young 
missionary,  is  most  amusing.  On  this  occasion  he  cer- 
tainly succeeded  in  holding  his  audience.  Later  in  the 
evening,  I  had  a  most  interesting  chat  with  him  about  the 
missionary  work  in  Japan.  .  .  He  has  been  helping  us 
a  little  every  day  in  our  attempts  to  master  the  Japanese 
tongue. 

JULY  17.     There  was  a  splendid  roll  and  a  fierce  wind 


one]  STEAMSHIP  SHINANA  MARU  379 

when  I  got  up  this  morning,  and  we  found  the  racks  on 
at  breakfast.  Nearly  all  morning  I  watched  the  waves 
break  over  the  bow  and  amidships,  dashing  down  the  deck 
and  against  the  doors  of  our  empty  cabins  with  stunning 
force.  We  were  cold  and  drenched,  but  stuck  to  our 
posts  at  the  bow,  in  the  teeth  of  the  booming  gale.  The 
scene,  with  the  great  curling  green  and  white  waves, 
towering  high  above  the  rail  of  our  small  ship,  and  the 
wild  wind  swept  sky,  made  me  think  of  Kipling's  "  L'en- 
voi  to  the  Seven  Seas,"  and  I  chanted  it  to  myself.  That 
is  a  wonderful  poem,  and  must  appeal  to  all  lovers  of  the 
sea.  The  rich  green  lights  just  under  the  comb  of  the 
breaking  waves  changed  to  blue  this  afternoon,  when  it 
cleared,  and  we  saw  the  sun  for  the  first  time  in  five 
days.  There  was  no  abatement  of  wind  or  sea,  however, 
and  the  ship  is  pitching  now  so  that  I  can  hardly  write. 
All  the  ventilators  have  been  taken  off  and  everything 
tied  down  as  if  for  a  typhoon.  The  fair  lady  of  paint 
and  powder  was  very  plucky  this  afternoon,  and  came  up 
onto  the  forward  deck,  where  she  clung  with  me  for  quite 
a  while,  in  spite  of  the  drenching  sea.  I  wonder  if  she 
realized  how  absurd  she  looked,  where  the  salt  brine  had 
washed  about  half  of  her  complexion  off  in  long  streaks  - 
she  is  young  and  virile,  and  really  doesn't  need  to  paint. 
It  was  all  gone  by  the  time  she  left,  to  her  decided  im- 
provement. 

Finished  Jane  Austen 's  Northanger  Abbey  today  and  en- 
joyed it  immensely,  though  not  as  much  as  Pride  and  Pre- 
judice. It  is  an  excellent  satire  upon  the  romantic  novels 
of  Mrs.  Badcliff.  The  character  of  Isabella  Thorpe, 
though  exaggerated,  reminded  me  very  much  of  a  dear 
friend  in  a  way  that  I  had  not  before  thought  of.  I  be- 
lieve her  faults  are  those  common  to  the  sex;  excessive 
desire  of  admiration,  and  to  be  the  center  of  all  things,  an 
exaggerated  and  shallow  style  and  conversation,  and  in- 
sincerity of  deep  feeling. 

Later  in  the  afternoon  I  read  some  of  the  Golden  Age 


380  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY 

stories  again,  and  a  little  Shakespeare,  Tennyson,  and 
Swinburne,  from  the  Oxford  Book  of  English  Verse. 

JULY  18.  Cold  and  foggy.  Yesterday  evening  and 
most  of  this  morning,  I  had  a  most  delightful  conversa- 
tion with  Mr.  Chambers,  whom  I  consider  the  most  inter- 
esting man  on  the  boat.  He  is  a  Scotch  divine,  philoso- 
pher, psychologist,  teacher,  artist,  and  architect,  rolled 
in  one,  and  for  the  next  twelve  years  is  to  be  a  globe  trot- 
ter. Our  talk  was  of  too  varied  a  nature  to  admit  of 
being  recast  in  journal  form,  but  he  has  given  me  a  new 
point  of  view  for  ethics,  philosophy,  and  psychology,  and 
I  can  retain  much  that  I  cannot  transcribe.  We  spoke  of 
these  things,  and  of  paintings  and  painters,  of  books, 
novels,  and  authors,  of  the  personalities  of  such  men  as 
Meredith,  Wilde,  and  Whistler,  of  whom  he  could  give 
personal  anecdotes,  of  our  fellow  travelers,  of  hunting  and 
fishing  experiences,  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  old  Scotch 
kirk,  of  college  life,  of  pragmatism  and  its  application,  of 
cabbages  and  kings,  and  why  the  sea  is  boiling  hot,  and 
whether  pigs  have  wings.  I  say  l  *  we, ' '  but  I  was  glad 
enough  to  let  him  shoulder  most  of  the  load,  and  found 
him  equally  keen  on  any  subject.  Later  I  began  Goethe's 
Faust  which  I  found  on  board.  .  .  This  afternoon,  I 
picked  up  a  book  of  Walley,  called  The  Great  Siberian 
Railway  by  Shumaker,  reading  such  chapters  as  seemed 
promising.  It  was  very  interesting,  as  a  picture  of  the 
country  and  life,  and  the  chapters  on  Lake  Baikal,  Tien- 
tsin, Peking,  Port  Arthur,  Seoul,  the  Great  Wall,  the  Ming 
Tombs,  the  Summer  Palace,  and  the  Tartar  City  were 
particularly  so.  After  tea,  Purdy  gave  us  a  talk  on 
Japanese  history,  which  he  had  studied  this  year  under 
'  *  Oriental  Bill ' '  Williams.  After  supper  we  worked 
over  some  of  the  details  of  our  Japanese  trip  with  Naka- 
da.  .  .  I  have  been  talking  quite  a  bit  lately  with 
a  pleasant  German  named  Reinecke,  as  regards  the  best 
place  to  spend  six  weeks  in  Germany,  which  I  want  very 


STOUT 

TAFT,  STARK,  MATHER,  VIETOR 
DIXON,  PERRIN 


STEAMSHIP  SHINANA  MARU  383 

much  to  do  the  latter  part  of  next  year,  after  two  or 
three  months  study  in  France.  I  have  practically  de- 
cided upon  a  month  in  or  just  outside  of  Hanover,  and 
two  weeks  in  Berlin  or  Dresden  for  the  opera,  etc.  He 
represents  the  Asiatic  Export  and  Import  Company, 
of  Seattle,  and  has  kindly  offered  to  help  us  in  the  selec- 
tion of  good  bronzes  and  cut  velvet,  if  we  come  to  Kobe. 
Later  in  the  evening  I  started  Hildreth  and  Clement's 
Japan  as  It  Is  and  Was  and  find  the  accounts  and  legends 
of  the  early  voyagers  hither  by  Pinto,  Xavier,  and  others, 
most  entertaining.  .  . 

JULY  22.  A  beautiful  blue  morning,  with  a  warm 
bright  sun.  Our  friend  was  radiant  this  morning  in  a 
creation  of  pink  duck.  Sat  up  in  the  sunlight  on  the  hur- 
ricane deck  for  a  couple  of  hours  this  morning,  with  War 
ren  Powell,  reading  and  talking.  Finished  a  book  on 
Japan,  giving  accounts  of  the  early  Dutch  and 
Portuguese  voyages,  and  the  work  of  the  Jesuits.  .  . 
Fog  closed  in  after  lunch.  Bead  some  of  Bernard  Shaw's 
startling  and  amusing  Dramatic  Criticisms  and  Opinions. 
4 '  Shakespeare  at  times, ' '  he  says,  ' '  attains  to  the  height 
of  a  sixth  rate  Kingsley."  He  thinks  very  highly  of 
Ibsen,  but  can't  say  much  for  Weyman,  who  will  only  sat- 
isfy, he  declares,  a  child  of  seven.  He  backs  up  even  his 
most  absurd  statements,  however  with  clever  and  plaus- 
ible arguments  and  quotations.  I  had  another  most  inter- 
esting talk  with  Mr.  Chambers;  it  began  with  Shakes- 
peare, the  drama,  and  the  unmoral  point  of  view,  and 
ended  up  with  commencement  week  in  New  Haven.  Quite 
a  mental  journey !  .  .  . 

JULY  23.  Still  foggy,  but  much  warmer,  with  intermit- 
tent hours  of  sunlight.  It  is  easy  to  see  how  simple  and 
primitive  man  came  to  worship  the  sun.  I  became  an  ad- 
herent of  the  Zoroastrian  creed  myself  today,  and  looked 
at  "  Ahura-Mazda  "  in  quite  a  different  light.  Bead  bits 


384  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

of  Innocents  Abroad,  Rambles  in  Japan  and  Faust  during 
the  morning  and  afternoon,  and  had  my  usual  Japanese 
lesson.  .  . 

JULY  24.  Clearer  and  warmer,  but  with  only  inter- 
mittent sunshine.  Today  I  read  bits  of  Hours  in  a  Lib- 
rary by  Leslie  Stephen,  and  a  Handbook  of  Modern  Ja- 
pan by  Clement,  which  is  capital.  Purdy  and  I  planned 
a  rickshaw  and  walking  trip  through  the  country.  There 
was  some  Japanese  fencing  in  the  waist.  They  used  two 
headed  swords  of  bamboo,  and  wore  a  sort  of  heavy 
meshed  mail,  with  shoulder  guards,  waist  and  loin  pads, 
and  long  wadded  gauntlets  covering  the  forearm.  There 
are  only  four  points  in  Japanese  fencing,  as  I  understand 
it,  the  first  three  each  count  one,  and  the  last,  two.  They 
are  first,  the  side  cut  to  the  waist ;  second,  the  head  stroke ; 
third,  the  wrist  or  forearm  stroke  (which  is  principally 
used  to  disarm  a  man) ;  and  fourth,  the  stroke  to  the  throat. 
The  first  three  are  all  cuts,  the  idea  being  to  lop  off  a 
man's  trunk  or  band,  or  cleave  him  from  head  to  mid- 
riff, while  the  throat  stroke  is  a  stab.  The  point,  except 
occasionally  with  this  last  stroke,  seems  never  to  be 
used.  Their  guarding  is  very  effective,  and  resembles 
that  in  quarter-staff  play.  One  of  our  Shinana  cham- 
pions is  a  professional,  and  came  off  an  easy  victor. 
They  begin  by  squatting  on  the  ground  facing  each  other. 
Then  they  duck  their  heads  in  salutation,  rise  and  fall  to. 
The  man  who  secures  a  point  shouts,  steps  back,  swinging 
his  blade  high  behind  him  in  the  air,  with  his  left  hand, 
and  his  opponent  bows  in  acknowledgment.  At  the  end 
of  the  bout  the  vanquished  kneels  and  bows  to  the  victor. 
They  don't  use  the  single  back-hand  stroke  as  we  do  with 
the  saber,  nor  has  their  work  the  formality,  the  finesse, 
nor  the  grace  of  fencing.  They  are  constantly  shouting 
and  exclaiming  to  disconcert  one  another,  like  fencers  of 
the  Italian  school.  I  should  think  a  skillful  man  with  a 


one]  STEAMSHIP  SHINANA  MARU  385 

saber  could  put  one  of  those  chaps  hors-de-combat  by  a 
well  placed  thrust  while  the  chap  was  hauling  off  for  one 
of  his  sweeping  blows,  but  these  are  so  powerful,  and  the 
blades  of  such  a  superior  temper,  that  I  should  think  it 
would  be  almost  impossible  to  parry  them  with  our  com- 
paratively light  sabers.  There  were  also  some  strength 
tests,  one  man  lifting  four,  etc.  I  found  out  from  Naka- 
da  that  it  was  Dr.  Chambers 's  birthday,  so  we  got  up  a 
birthday  party  with  a  procession  at  dessert  time,  headed 
by  the  chief  steward  proudly  bearing  aloft  a  specially 
baked  cake,  with  a  candle,  and  followed  by  the  other 
stewards  with  foolish  presents  from  all  of  us  on  trays. 
Afterwards  we  sang  till  quite  late  on  deck.  I  think  he 
was  very  much  pleased. 

JULY  25.  Our  steward,  when  he  woke  us  with  coffee 
and  okay  a  this  morning,  added  '  *  Shore,  shore ! ' '  and 
shore  enough  it  was.  A  beautiful  morning,  and  we  coast- 
ed along  past  Cape  Kinka  San,  amid  junks,  whales  and 
other  odd  craft.  It  is  a  beautiful  high  rugged  coast,  with 
the  typical  little  dwarf  pines  clinging  to  every  rock. 
Great  excitement  evinced  by  all  the  Japs,  and  we  also 
feel  that  at  last  we  are  in  sight  of  the  promised  land.  .  . 

Late  this  afternoon  I  picked  up  Amiel's  Journal  Intime 
recommended  to  me  by  Purdy,  who  in  turn  had  the  dope 
from  Mr.  Chambers.  I  only  got  about  a  third  through  it, 
but  that  little  made  me  wish  it  didn't  belong  to  the  ship's 
library,  so  that  I  might  take  it  along  and  finish  it  later. 
It  seems  to  be  a  most  intimate  self-revelation  of  a  gifted 
man  who  failed  to  do  anything  great,  because  he  couldn  't 
rise  to  the  emergency,  but  though,  therefore,  the  history 
of  a  failure,  the  book  itself  is  not  a  failure,  and  the  in- 
cidental philosophy  most  valuable.  It  is  a  book  which  ad- 
mits of  much  reading  between  the  lines,  pregnant  with 
speculation,  opening  new  channels  of  thought,  and  sug- 
gestive of  a  great  deal  of  other  books  and  reading. 


386  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

TOKIO,  JULY  26.  Well,  we're  here.  The  old  guard  has 
arrived  and  stands  inside  the  gateway  of  its  Carcassonne. 
First  impressions  are  always  hard  to  write  up,  though 
they're  a  liberal  education  while  they  last.  What  sur- 
prised me  most  was  the  gentleness  with  which  we  all  slid 
from  the  Occident  into  the  Orient.  I  feel  as  though  I'd 
been  here  a  month  -  nothing  seems  new  or  strange,  which 
is,  I  suppose,  the  result  of  the  thorough  study  of  the  con- 
ditions, history,  manners,  customs,  appearance,  crafts, 
and  present  conditions  of  the  country,  which  I've  been 
working  up  more  or  less  for  the  past  twelvemonth.  It's 
like  dreaming  a  good  dream  over  again -only  thank  God 
I'm  awake  and  it's  all  true.  .  . 

The  way  the  coolies  swarmed  over  the  side  of  the  boat 
for  luggage,  reminded  one  of  the  wild  tales  of  Malay  pir- 
ates and  their  sampans.  The  harbor  is  a  good  one,  and 
alive  with  shipping.  The  captain  says  that  forty  years 
ago  there  was  nothing  here  but  a  fishing  village,  while 
now  the  population  is  three  hundred  and  twenty-six  thou- 
sand and  thirty- five,  and  constantly  increasing -so  much 
for  Commodore  Perry  and  American  influence.  .  . 

After  dinner  Wally  and  Reese  Alsop  came  over,  and 
Hervey  and  I  joined  them  and  spent  till  about  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning  just  riding  about  the  city  and  seeing  some 
of  the  night  sights.  .  .  What  has  struck  me  most  so 
far  is  the  area  of  the  city,  the  light-heartedness  of  the 
people,  and  the  simplicity  of  their  life.  Their  problem 
to  my  mind  is  to  keep  simple  and  yet  abreast  of  civiliza- 
tion and  science.  The  houses  are  tiny  toy-like  affairs, 
and  the  same  room  serves  to  sleep,  cook,  and  eat  in.  We 
are  too  much  civilized.  Why  have  elaborate  stoves  and 
ranges  in  vast  kitchens  for  instance,  when  a  brazier  on 
the  porch  will  give  equally  good  results  I  And  then  their 
dress  is  so  simple,  especially  that  of  the  coolies  and  work- 
ing classes -bare  legs,  bare  legs  everywhere.  Passing 
by  the  open  doors  at  night  we  could  see  them  planing 
shingles  into  long  thin  shavings,  with  a  crooked  knife; 


one]  TOKIO  387 

stirring  weird  concoctions  in  a  steaming  bowl ;  or  strum- 
ming old  half-forgotten  melodies  on  queer  shaped  guitars. 
Most  of  the  dwelling  houses  were  dark  and  closed  by  ten 
o'clock,  though  street  hucksters  and  stands  did  a  good 
business.  The  streets,  though  by  no  means  deserted,  are 
much  quieter  than  at  home. 

TOKIO,  JULY  27.  After  breakfast  we  met  John,  Ted, 
and  John's  Jap  friend,  Osiwara,  at  the  station,  and  all 
went  out  to  the  Imperial  University  together.  We  had 
letters  to  Dr.  Sato,  head  of  the  Imperial  Hospital,  and  a 
doctor  of  international  reputation.  He  took  us  all 
through  the  hospital  (remarkably  up  to  date)  and  the 
university,  which,  although  the  buildings  are  only  medi- 
ocre, has  very  large  and  attractive  grounds -a  small 
lake -pine  groves,  etc.  Mr.  Osiwara  was  our  host  at 
luncheon  at  Ujeno  Park,  after  which  I  shopped  to  the  ex- 
tent of  some  silk  shirts  and  clothes  till  time  for  us  to  go 
out  to  the  famous  exclusive  Maple  Club,  where  we  were 
the  guests  of  Dr.  Sato.  This  large  but  well  proportioned 
and  exquisitely  decorated  building  has  a  beautiful  out- 
look across  a  garden  and  over  the  town.  As  we  alighted 
from  our  jinrickshaws  at  the  door,  and  sent  in  word  to 
our  host  that  we  were  arrived,  our  shoes  were  removed 
by  the  ladies  in  waiting.  The  doctor  presently  appeared 
and  we  were  escorted  to  our  private  dining  room  over- 
looking the  garden.  The  hand-painted  screens  in  this 
room  were  rich  and  beautiful.  First  tea  was  brought  in, 
and  then  an  elaborate  twenty-course  meal  was  served  to 
us  (kneeling  or  sitting  cross  legged  on  mats)  and  we  each 
had  a  couple  of  charming  geishas  to  superintend  matters 
and  amuse  us.  By  this  time  we  could  chatter  a  bit  in  Jap 
with  them,  and  turn  a  delicate  compliment  on  lip  or  eye- 
brow. Ted  and  I  in  particular  had  lots  of  fun  teaching 
them  parlor  tricks  with  coins,  rings,  matches,  etc.  We 
would  take  turns  drinking  sake  and  beer  out  of  the  same 
glass  (always  rinsed  in  a  bowl  of  hot  water)  murmuring 


388  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

politely  '"  Maisionari,  0  Fuki  San,"  or  "  0  Katsu  San  " 
as  the  case  might  be,  which  is  quite  au  fait.  Between 
courses  elaborate  and  graceful  pose-dances  of  a  dramatic 
significance  were  performed  by  specially  trained  geishas 
in  splendidly  embroidered  costumes.  These  geishas  are 
like  the  Hetairae  of  Greece.  The  Japanese  woman  plays 
such  an  inconspicuous  part  in  their  social  life,  that  these 
girls  are  trained  from  early  childhood  almost,  to  be  the 
companions  of  the  men  at  entertainments,  dinners,  etc. 
They  are  very  good  conversationalists,  witty,  clever,  well- 
read,  and  learned,  fond  of  music,  and  very  skillful  at 
dancing  and  singing.  We  stayed  till  about  ten,  and  then 
rattled  gaily  home  in  the  moonlight.  Altogether  it  was 
one  of  the  best  parties  I've  ever  attended,  and  the  geishas 
the  dearest,  duckiest,  brightest,  merriest,  and  prettiest  of 
creatures ! 

TOKIO,  SUNDAY,  JULY  28.  Today  has  been  a  red-letter 
day.  Purdy,  Hervey,  and  Gil  felt  tired  and  stayed  in 
Tokio,  but  Wally,  Reese,  Ted,  Johnny,  Yeso  (a  Yale  Jap), 
and  I  took  the  nine  o'clock  train  for  Kamakura.  After 
seeing  some  interesting  temples  and  ^the  museum,  we 
drew  up  before  the  great  bronze  image  of  Buddha -the 
Diabutsu  of  Kamakura.  I  have  seldom  seen  such  a  be- 
nign and  noble  countenance.  The  longer  you  look  at  it, 
the  more  you  feel  that  here  too,  in  this  great  religion  of 
the  East,  one  may  find  that  peace  of  the  world  and  love 
which  passeth  understanding.  To  give  you  an  idea  of 
the  size  and  magnificence  of  the  statue,  I  will  say  that  its 
ear  alone  is  larger  than  I  am,  and  that  the  great  plate  on 
the  forehead  is  of  hammered  gold.  It  was  cast  in  two 
pieces,  cunningly  joined,  some  time  in  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury. About  the  time  that  Columbus  was  wading  ashore 
in  the  West  Indies,  a  big  tidal  wave  swept  away  the  tem- 
ple that  surrounded  it,  and  for  the  last  six  hundred  years 
it  has  been  brooding  over  the  sins  of  the  world  exposed 
to  storms  and  sunshine.  We  smoked  a  couple  of  con- 


one]  TOKIO  389 

templative  pipes  over  it,  meditating  upon  the  latter  end  of 
things,  and  then  called  on  a  goddess  in  a  temple  which 
was  very  dark  and  mysterious.  This  lady  was  thirty  feet 
high,  but,  together  with  her  twin  sister,  was  carved  out 
of  a  single  camphor  tree.  We  repaired  to  Yeso's  house 
for  lunch,  a  summer  cottage  by  the  shore.  The  meal  was 
cooked  and  served  in  Japanese  fashion,  and  we  squatted 
on  our  little  mats  or  futans,  each  before  his  low  lacquered 
individual  table.  By  this  time  we  are  learning  the  prop- 
er order  of  things :  first  a  soup,  which  should  be  drunk ; 
then  whatever  sea  food  there  may  be,  fish,  raw-fish,  lob- 
ster, or  crabs  (they  have  a  way  of  stuffing  lobsters  with 
chestnuts  which  is  perfectly  scrumptuous) ;  you  then  add 
some  vegetables  and  sauce  from  a  little  dish  to  another 
soup,  after  which  come  more  vegetables,  and  a  chicken  or 
game  hash;  then  another  hot  fish  is  brought  in,  after 
which  you  may  eat  your  sweets  and  candies.  Then  comes 
rice,  white  and  flaky,  bowl  after  bowl,  with  which  to  fill  in 
the  chinks,  and  when  you  have  had  enough  of  this,  you  call 
for  tea,  which  is,  of  course,  green,  and  without  sugar  or 
cream.  Japanese  food  is  less  nourishing  to  us,  who  are 
accustomed  to  meat,  and  it  takes  a  great  deal  of  it  to  sat- 
isfy one's  hunger.  The  principal  charm  of  these  meals  is 
the  delicacy  of  flavor  (they  have  no  heavy  sauces  or  thick 
gravies  to  disguise  the  original  flavors)  and  the  supreme 
cleanliness  and  the  daintiness  of  the  service.  Yeso's 
father,  an  aristocratic  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  speak- 
ing no  English,  was  present,  and  I  asked  him  through  his 
son  just  how  old  the  Diabutsu  was.  ' '  How  should  I 
know, ' '  he  replied,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  ' '  it  was  here 
before  my  time.  Ask  the  Diabutsu ! ' ' 

We  played  about  here  until  three-thirty,  and  then  went 
down  to  a  quaint  little  tea  house  on  the  beach,  where  we 
had  a  wonderful  swim  in  the  surf.  After  a  hot  fresh- 
water bath  and  some  refreshments  and  cigarettes,  we 
walked  half  a  mile  through  one  of  the  seven  hill-cuts  lead- 
ing out  of  the  valley  in  which  Kamakura  lies.  The  leg- 


390  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

end  is  that  the  medieval  Japanese  hero,  Yori  Tomo, 
made  these  cuts  during  the  course  of  one  night,  through 
which  to  precipitate  his  army  upon  Kamakura  during  the 
Civil  Wars.  We  took  trolley  to  Enoshima,  and  from  the 
end  of  the  line  walked  over  the  beach  and  across  a  very 
long  bridge  to  that  wonderful  little  island  summer-resort. 
Leaving  our  coats  at  a  tea  house  built  out  over  the  sea, 
and  ordering  supper  against  our  return,  we  pushed  on 
across  the  island.  Up  long  nights  of  stone  steps,  moss- 
grown  and  flower-crannied,  and  flanked  by  majestic  stone 
lanterns ;  through  sacred  groves  and  past  Shinto  shrines, 
glorified  by  the  red  glow  of  the  slowly  sinking  sun,  we 
wandered,  till,  clambering  down  over  the  rocks  on  the 
farther  side,  we  reached  the  dark  mysterious  Caves  of 
Enoshima.  These  caves  are  supposed  to  be  connected 
with  the  crater  of  Fuji,  by  an  underground  passage. 
Once,  long  ago,  a  Daimio,  hotly  pursued  by  his  enemies, 
climbed  Fuji  and  sprang  into  the  crater  to  escape  from 
their  clutches.  He  appeared  later  at  Enoshima,  hence 
the  legend.  Several  credulous  enthusiasts  have  subse- 
quently put  this  to  a  test,  with  perhaps  more  of  ardor 
than  discretion ;  but  the  fact  that  they  failed  to  put  in  an 
appearance  at  Enoshima,  or  indeed  anywhere  else,  has 
not  shattered  public  belief  in  the  tale.  A  ragged  reef  of 
rocks  turned  the  deep  blue  of  the  little  cove  into  wild 
swirls  of  white,  but  we  pushed  on  into  the  gloomy  cavern, 
carrying  torches,  and  led  by  a  resolute  guide.  We  came 
back  to  our  inn  over  a  beautiful  green  embowered  cliff- 
walk,  from  which  we  threw  down  coppers  to  diving  boys 
below,  and  on  which  we  met  many  happy  families  out  for 
a  day's  rest  in  the  country.  The  inn  bathroom,  where  we 
took  our  hot  freshwater  bath  after  a  starlight  swim,  was 
graced  with  the  presence  of  several  demoiselles  engaged 
in  a  like  operation  -  but  our  apparent  indifference  seemed 
mutual.  The  water  was  nearly  one  hundred  and  ten  de- 
grees Fahrenheit,  and  required  courage  to  get  into,  but 
proved  very  refreshing.  After  a  delightful  Japanese 


one]  TOKIO  391 

meal,  served  in  a  room  opening  upon  the  porch,  where 
every  stray  ocean  breeze  could  wander  in,  we  discarded 
our  cool  kimonas,  donned  European  clothes  once  more, 
and  started  back  across  the  moonlit  beach,  followed  by 
the  blessings  of  the  entire  household.  A  sturdy  little  re- 
tainer led  the  way  with  a  large  paper  lantern,  whose  rosy 
glow  emphasized  the  muscles  of  his  shapely  bare  legs. 

Trolley  and  train  took  us  back  from  Enoshima  to  Tokio 
by  eleven-thirty,  well  content,  but  Oh!  how  tired  and 
sleepy !  In  the  train  we  found  some  other  Yale  Japs,  and 
all  beguiled  the  way  by  singing  to  the  accompaniment  of 
a  mouth  organ.  There  was  a  pretty  little  girl  next  me, 
smoking  a  cigarette,  who,  after  sitting  as  long  as  she 
could  in  the  European  way,  sought  relief  by  cramping  her 
legs  up  under  her  on  the  seat,  and  I  noticed  several  others 
follow  suit.  I  find  it  hard  to  sit  in  Jap  fashion  long,  as 
the  sprained  ankle  I  got  on  the  hunting  field  still  bothers 
me.  Neither  mosquitoes  nor  heat  could  keep  me  awake 
long. 

TOKIO,  JULY  29.  Today  we  spent  mostly  in  shopping - 
culture  pearls  (the  Japanese  raise  these  pearls  by  a  pro- 
cess of  their  own,  from  their  own  oyster  beds.  They  feed 
the  oysters,  and  force  the  growth  of  the  pearl.  So  far 
they  have  not  been  able  to  counteract  a  slight  flaw  which 
is  made  in  the  pearl  on  removal  from  its  artificial  mother- 
in-law -but  they  hope  to  do  so  in  time),  ivories,  bronzes, 
wood  carvings,  cloisonne,  silver-bronze  cigarette  cases 
and  vases,  porcelains,  swords  as  keen  as  ever  the  cunning 
craftsmen  of  Toledo  and  Damascus  forged,  silks,  em- 
broidered kimonas,  and  cheap  but  beautiful  silk  shirts 
and  pajamas,  all  had  their  share  of  our  attention.  In  the 
late  afternoon  Ted,  Johnny,  and  I  went  out  to  the  vast 
Asakusa  Park  and  Temples,  and  wandered  through  a  be- 
wildering and  interesting  maze  of  shrines,  tombs,  tem- 
ples, carved  stone  lanterns,  carp  ponds,  cheap  huckster 
stands,  countless  midwaylike  side-shows,  and  a  queer  wax- 


392  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

work  zoo.  The  grounds  were  crowded  more  with  chil- 
dren and  native  sightseers,  than  with  worshipers.  In  the 
evening  Nakada  San,  his  nephew,  and  a  missionary  named 
Cowman,  came  to  dinner,  and  after  a  cigar  in  the  garden, 
a  secluded  little  spot,  where  a  minature  water  fall  was 
singing  softly  to  itself,  and  a  native  orchestra  played 
behind  banks  of  flowers,  we  strolled  out  into  the  town. 

There  in  the  dim  blue  death  of  day 

Where  pale  tea-roses  grow, 

Petals  and  scents  are  strewn  astray 

Till  night  be  sweet  enow. 

There  lovers  wander,  whispering  low, 

As  lovers  only  can, 

And  rosy  paper  lanterns  glow 

Through  streets  of  old  Japan. 

We  spent  several  hours  in  the  narow  winding  streets, 
through  which  laden  coolies  lurched,  and  Samurai  ladies 
and  gentlemen  were  whirled  in  flying  rickshaws.  These 
latter  have  their  coats  of  arms  woven  in  their  outer  gar- 
ments, on  the  sleeves  and  between  the  shoulder  blades, 
which,  I  should  think,  would  be  very  convenient  when 
coming  upon  an  acquaintance  from  behind.  You  would 
know  who  he  was,  and  could  tell  whether  you  cared  to 
stop  and  speak  to  him. 

On  a  hot  night,  the  general  nakedness  of  the  common 
people  strikes  one  very  forcibly,  but  I  am  getting  fast 
accustomed  to  it,  and  also  to  such  anomalies  as  the  old 
men  nurses,  the  children  with  shaved  heads,  the  ladies 
with  blackened  teeth,  and  the  cloven  hoof  of  the  univer- 
sally-worn tabi.  Gil  and  I  amused  ourselves  dickering 
with  polite  sidewalk- squatting  merchants,  for  cheap  cu- 
rios and  little  oddities.  Every  halt  of  ours  was  the  occa- 
sion for  the  gathering  of  a  silent  crowd,  more  interested 
in  the  bargains,  however,  than  in  us.  And  by  the  by, 
it  is  remarkable  that  in  such  a  tremendous  city,  not  only 
can  one  go  with  perfect  safety  through  any  dark  alleyway 
or  crooked  streets,  but  also  though  there  are  scarcely  any 


one]  TOKIO  393 

foreigners  here  this  month,  that  one  attracts  so  little  at- 
tention. After  listening  to  some  queer  street  musicians 
and  singers,  we  came  back,  had  our  cold  beer  and  turned 
in. 

TOKIO,  JULY  30.  In  the  evening  Gil,  Hervey,  Purdy, 
and  I  were  invited  out  to  dine  at  Mr.  Cowman's,  who 
lives  at  the  mission  in  a  very  cool  and  charming  suburb. 
We  had  a  pleasant  little  party,  and  sang  some  Japanese 
songs  and  hymns. 

JULY  31.  After  visiting  the  bank  and  a  last  look  at 
one  of  the  seductive  silk  stores,  we  stopped  at  Mitsu- 
koshi's  and  got  sheets,  pillow-slips,  kimonas  hakamas 
(student  trousers),  tabi  (cloven-hoofed  socks),  obi  (flat- 
footed  clogs  or  shoes,  with  a  thong  to  go  between  the  big 
and  second  toe),  waraji  (straw  sandals  to  do  most  of  our 
rough  traveling  in),  and  zori  (sashes  for  the  waist),  for 
we  intend  to  dress  in  native  fashion  on  our  walking  trip 
through  the  country.  This  place  is  very  up-to-date,  hav- 
ing huge  blocks  of  ice  on  stands  in  every  room  to  cool  the 
air,  a  large  fountain  down  stairs,  and  a  small  one  on  a 
delightful  little  roof -garden,  to  say  nothing  of  a  restaur- 
ant. I  next  called  on  Baron  Dr.  Takagi,  as  a  festered 
toe  bothered  me  considerably,  and  I  had  a  letter  of  intro- 
duction to  him,  and  had  intended  meeting  him  anyway. 
No  one  in  his  house  could  speak  English,  and  I  had  con- 
siderable pleasure  in  finally  ferreting  out  in  my  own  halt- 
ing Japanese,  that  he  was  up  at  his  hospital  near  Shiba 
Park.  As  Ted  and  I  were  going  to  the  temples  there  any- 
way, I  dropped  off  at  the  hospital,  met  the  baron,  and 
allowed  myself  to  be  stretched  upon  an  operating  table 
and  disinfected  by  half  a  dozen  eager  nurses  and  doctors. 
During  the  ordeal,  I  chatted  with  the  baron,  who  is  a 
very  pleasant  and  cultured  gentleman,  with  a  son  at 
Pennsylvania,  and  in  fact  stayed  so  long  that  I  was  too 
late  to  connect  with  Ted.  I  went  all  through  the  Shinto 
temples,  however,  which,  in  great  contrast  with  the  Budd- 


394  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY 

hist  ones  at  Asakusa,  were  sleeping  quietly  among  lily 
ponds,  sacred  groves  of  stunted  pines,  and  long  avenues 
of  stone  lanterns.  The  temple  of  the  Second  Shogun, 
with  its  wonderfully  preserved  black  lacquer  floor,  and 
dark  cool  inner  shrines,  I  should  have  loved  to  doze  over 
longer,  with  some  books  of  Lafcadio  Hearn's  about  the 
old  Japanese  legends  or  poetry,  but  the  inner  man  told 
me  it  was  tiffin  time.  When  I  found  my  way  back  to  the 
main  gate,  I  feared  I  had  lost  my  rickshaw  boy,  for  the 
"Pull-man"  car  stood  deserted,  but  I  presently  espied 
him  emerging  from  a  small  side  temple,  where,  following 
me  in,  he  had  apparently  remained  to  worship.  After 
tiffin,  I  took  Gil  on  my  ticket  to  the  Jiu  Jitsu  School.  It 
consists  of  one  vast  room,  whose  floor  is  heavily  padded 
with  Japanese  mats  and  was  the  scene  of  about  half  a 
hundred  gladiatorial  combats  when  we  entered.  Fifty 
pairs  of  heroes  were  circling,  feinting  for  holds,  kicking, 
tripping,  grunting,  and  every  minute  or  two  closing  in  a 
lightning  embrace  which  ended  in  a  fall  for  someone.  The 
air,  in  fact  was  punctuated  with  the  steady  thud  of  falling 
bodies.  We  watched  this  sport,  fascinated,  for  over  an 
hour,  tracing  several  of  our  favorites  through  two  or  three 
successful  bouts.  The  challenger  bows  to  his  intended  op- 
ponent as  though  he  were  inviting  him  to  dance.  At  the 
end  of  a  bout  the  vanquished  touches  his  brow  to  the  floor 
before  the  victor.  They  wore  white  loose-fitting,  wadded 
clothes -the  beginners  with  a  white  sash,  those  who  had 
been  there  longer  with  a  blue  sash,  and  the  still  more  ex- 
pert with  a  brown.  I  only  saw  two  or  three  out  of  say 
three  hundred  present,  who  had  sufficiently  qualified  to 
wear  that  proudest  of  all  Japanese  distinctions,  the  Black 
Belt.  .  . 

A  very  gay  and  dainty  party  tonight  at  the  Ka-geisu, 
"  Flower-O'-the-Moon,"  much  fun.  Hervey,  I  fear,  has 
fallen  victim  to  the  seductive  charms  of  a  dainty  geisha 
called  "  The  Plum  Blossom. " 


JEWELS  OF  ARIA 


AT  THE  "  FLOWER-OTHE-MOON  " 


TOKIO  397 


TOKIO,  AUGUST  1 .  .  .  Today  Ted  and  I  saw  the  Tokio 
stock  exchange.  The  stock  quotations  are  listed  on  little 
white  slates,  hung  up  around  the  room -fresh  for  each 
session.  It  is  ever  so  much  smaller  than  our  stock  ex- 
change, and  I  do  not  imagine  so  noisy,  for  the  Japanese  - 
whether  it  be  sincere  or  not -practice  a  constant  and 
punctilious  politeness.  After  lunch,  having  received  an 
invitation,  we  visited  the  Arsenal  Gardens -the  finest 
thing  I've  seen  so  far.  Imagine  a  vast  quiet  garden,  in 
the  heart  of  the  busy  city,  walled  in  and  sleeping  smilingly 
through  a  drowsy  August  afternoon.  Great  lotus-filled 
ponds,  on  which  float  strange  carved  sampans;  shaded 
pine  walks;  vast  beds  of  ferns  and  flowers -rare  blos- 
soms; numerous  chattering  brooklets  spanned  by  quaint 
rounded  bridges ;  summer  houses  perched  on  little  hills ; 
moss-covered  stone  stairways,  flanked  by  lanterns  and 
leading  up  to  the  secluded  spires  of  some  little  Shinto 
shrine ;  a  wistaria-hung  waterfall,  sun  soaked  and  musi- 
cal; groves  of  cherry  trees,  and  broad  vistas  across 
grassy  lawns  combine  to  form  an  almost  ideal  spot.  A 
couple  of  old  soldiers  showed  us  about,  and  invited  us  into 
their  little  bamboo  house,  where  they  gave  us  some  tea  and 
cakes.  The  whole  thing  was  idyllic,  and  Ted  vows  he'll 
spend  his  honeymoon  here.  On  leaving  the  park  we  sepa- 
rated and  I  drove  through  the  beautiful  residential  section, 
and  presented  letters  from  Miss  Mable  Boardman  and  Sec- 
retary Taft,  to  M.  Nagasaki,  head  of  the  Imperial  House- 
hold. He  was  most  kind  and  presented  me  to  his  wife, 
an  unusual  favor,  and  promised  to  get  me  admission  to 
the  Imperial  Garden,  and  perhaps  the  palace  on  my  re- 
turn. I  then  called  on  Ambassador  Wright,  armed  with 
letters  from  Secretaries  Root  and  Taft,  which  I  was 
glad  not  to  have  to  present,  as  I  found  him  out.  I  there- 
fore left  them  and  an  application  for  permission  for  our 
party  to  visit  the  palaces  and  castle  at  Kioto,  and  the 
castles  at  Nagoya  and  Osaka.  On  my  return  I  found  Mr. 
Uno,  my  tatooer,  hard  at  work  on  Wally.  After  dinner 


398  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY 

the  boy  whom  Nakada  had  gotten  for  me  appeared,  and  I 
talked  to  him  for  a  while,  then  packed  and  later  took  a 
stroll  involving  a  little  more  dickering  with  the  hucksters 
and  a  conversation  with  some  children  and  a  casual  flute 
player.  Ted,  John,  Wally,  and  Reese  have  gone  to  Sen- 
dai.  We  expect  to  see  them  in  Nikko  on  Sunday. 

NIKKO,  AUGUST  2.  We  got  off  at  ten-thirty,  leaving 
Hervey  being  tatooed.  The  journey  up  was  very  pleasant. 
(See  article  in  Sketch  Note-book  on  Japanese  Railway 
travel)  and  the  scenery  grew  grander  and  the  air  cooler 
as  we  forged  into  the  mountains.  We  ran  parallel  with 
the  sacred  avenue  of  cryptomeria  trees  from  about  thirty 
miles  outside  into  Nikko,  being  an  infinitely  larger  and 
more  impressive  effect  than  the  Cathedral  Aisle  in  Lake- 
wood.  The  old  proverb  ' '  He  who  has  not  seen  Nikko 
may  not  use  the  word  beautiful ' '  justified  itself,  to  me, 
and  we  spent  a  delightful  late  afternoon  (we  arrived 
about  four)  rambling  up  the  river  bank  through  avenues 
of  stone  Buddhas,  Shinto  mausoleums,  temples,  colon- 
nades, moss-grown  stairways,  waterfalls -a  perfect  laby- 
rinth of  detailed  and  minutely  complete  religious  archi- 
tecture, cut  in  solid  granite -till  we  strayed  into  a  cool 
dark  green  grove  of  giant  trees.  A  beautiful  waterfall 
tumbled  into  a  self -hewn  basin  and  beside  and  above  it 
was  an  almost  ruined  Shinto  temple.  We  mooned  away 
half  an  hour  here,  and  then  went  back  to  bathe  and  change 
for  dinner.  The  Kanaya  Hotel  is  the  best  here,  and  in 
the  evening  we  strolled  down  past  the  sacred  red-lacquer 
bridge,  which  only  emperors  may  cross,  though  U.S. 
Grant  was  offered  the  privilege,  and  sang  soft  songs  in 
the  starlight.  Hervey  arrived  and  went  at  once  to  a 
native  inn  where  Kaniko,  the  lunatic  who  is  acting  as  his 
boy,  ordered  everyone  to  bow  down  to  his  great  master, 
and  distributed  Hervey 's  money  in  largesses,  with  a  gen- 
erous hand.  This  boy  has  the  odor  of  Salvation  Army 
religion  and  hair  tonic  heavily  about  him.  He  follows 


ALONG  THE  ROAD 


IN  THE  ARSENAL  GARDENS.  TOKIO 


NIKKO  401 


Hervey  about  the  streets  clapping  his  hands,  singing 
hymns,  and  shouting  * '  Alleluiah. "  He  regards  Hervey 
as  the  greatest  person  in  the  world,  and  is  constantly 
buying  him  presents -with  Hervey 's  money.  Today  it 
was  a  tin  of  coffee,  a  toy  set  of  knives,  forks  and  spoons, 
a  box  of  candy,  and  a  towel.  It  is  anything  but  pleasant 
to  have  him  prance  along  the  street  behind  you  singing 
"  Onward  Christian  Soldiers  "  out  of  tune,  or  chanting 
loudly  that  he  is  "  Master's  boy,  Master's  boy!  "  At  in- 
tervals he  tugs  you  by  the  sleeve  to  ask  plaintively: 
"  What  time  master  go  pray?  "  or  to  practice  his  Eng- 
lish :  * '  Dog,  master,  ees  it  not  so  I  "  In  public  places  we 
try  to  pretend  that  we  don't  know  him  and  look  as  sur- 
prised as  the  rest  of  the  people  when  he  falls  on  his 
knees  by  a  lamp  post  and  bursts  into  vigorous  prayer - 
but  it  is  no  use  for  as  soon  as  we  try  to  sneak  quietly  off, 
he  spots  us  and  comes  bounding  along  on  our  trail,  giving 
tongue  like  a  bloodhound.  I  am  ashamed  to  say  that 
whenever  we  hear  that  he  and  Hervey  are  having  a  dif- 
ference of  opinion  in  Hervey 's  room,  Johnny  and  I  steal 
quietly  in  to  see  the  fun  for  whenever  Hervey  scolds  him, 
he  bursts  into  tears,  pounds  his  chest,  grabs  Hervey 
around  the  knees,  and  says  his  heart  is  heavy.  He  has 
already  spoiled  a  new  pair  of  tan  shoes  which  Hervey 
bought  in  Yokohama  by  weeping  onto  them  on  three  dif- 
ferent occasions.  This,  combined  with  Hervey 's  mania 
for  system  (he  has  every  individual  article  in  his  twelve 
pieces  of  luggage,  carefully  packed,  and  its  place  docketed 
in  one  of  his  thirty-seven  note  books)  makes  Hervey  the 
life  and  soul  of  the  party.  I  don't  know  what  we  should 
do  without  Hervey!  Purdy's  and  my  boy,  Hamada,  is 
a  treasure  trove  compared  to  Kaniko,  "  the  crazy  one." 
He  served  all  through  the  Russian  war -got  wounded  at 
Mukden,  and  is  a  clean-cut  manly  Christian. 

AUGUST  3.     After  tea  Purdy  and  I  set  out  for  Urami 
Falls,  about  four  miles  from  Nikko.     The  Falls -there 


402  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

were  three  of  them -were  lovely  lace-like  affairs,  and 
we  also  worked  in  a  little  sylvan  idyl  with  some  tea  house 
beauties.  It  was  a  long  and  tiring  tramp,  as  we  had  on 
our  tabi  and  obi  for  the  first  time,  and  we  only  returned 
in  time  to  bathe  and  dress  for  dinner.  After  dinner, 
again  tonight  we  were  entertained  by  native  musicians 
and  dancers  in  front  of  the  hotel.  One  of  the  sword 
dances  was  particularly  lively,  though  our  boy  says  not 
really  Japanese.  The  so-called  ' '  pine  tree  dance, ' ' 
where  six  fans  are  held  at  once,  in  hair,  teeth,  hands,  and 
feet  was  very  pretty  and  quite  suggestive  of  a  conifer. 
Wally,  Johnny,  Ted,  and  Reese  turned  up  today,  feeling 
that  their  short  northern  trip  had  not  repaid  them  for 
two  uncomfortable  nights  on  the  train.  Later  this  even- 
ing, John,  Hervey,  Wally,  and  I,  had  a  charming  little 
geisha  party,  with  considerable  dancing,  games,  conver- 
sation, and  rough-house.  A  Japanese  gentleman  whom 
we  met  during  the  day,  accompanied  us  as  our  guest,  did 
most  of  the  translations,  and  helped  to  make  things  lively. 
He  played  most  delightfully  on  the  flute. 

CHUZENJI,  AUGUST  4.  Very  warm  today,  and  rather 
muggy.  After  breakfast  went  shopping  with  Purdy,  and 
found  a  wonderful  store  full  of  really  good  old  stuff,  but 
resisted  the  temptation  to  buy  it  all.  Afterwards  we 
bought  a  few  provisions  for  our  trip,  including  towels, 
soap,  and  insect  powder,  and  engaged  a  husky  coolie  to 
carry  our  bag.  We  got  under  way  about  two-thirty,  after 
saying  goodbye  to  the  others,  and  wishing  Wally,  Ted, 
Johnny,  and  Eeese  all  kinds  of  luck  in  case  we  shouldn't 
see  them  again  at  Kioto.  Our  "  husky  "  was  a  splendid 
figure  of  a  man -I  should  like  to  have  him  in  bronze  - 
and  as  we  went  swinging  along,  we  grew  quite  chatty,  in  a 
gesticulative  sort  of  way  for  the  most  part,  as  he  doesn't 
"  English."  As  we  followed  up  the  valley  of  the  Gaiya, 
it  grew  narrower,  the  enclosing  hills  higher  and  steeper, 
and  cascades  more  and  more  frequent.  We  passed  two 


one]  CHUZENJI  403 

perfect  beauties,  one  of  them  the  Keegon,  over  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet,  is  a  popular  suicidal  resort,  and 
looks  as  though  it  would  be  quite  useful  for  that  purpose. 
It  appeared  presently  that  ' '  husky ' '  was  not  the  coolie 
originally  selected  for  us  by  the  pleasant  and  obliging 
Kanaya  Brothers,  but  about  half  way  over  we  met  the 
right  one  -  smaller,  but  smiling.  He  was  somewhat  taken 
aback  when ' '  husky ' '  put  the  proposition  to  him,  as  he  was 
on  his  way  back  from  a  trip  to  Chuzenji,  and  evidently 
expected  a  vacation,  but  he  allowed  * ;  husky  ' '  to  carry  the 
pack  as  far  as  the  next  tea  house,  where,  after  refresh- 
ment, argument,  and  tea,  he  assumed  it.  The  coolies  re- 
gard these  tea  houses,  in  fact,  as  a  sort  of  challenge. 
It  seems  to  hurt  their  pride  if  they  don't  stop  at  every 
one,  and  sometimes  they  will  go  a  long  way  back  to  an 
especially  good  one,  to  make  sure  they  haven 't  forgotten 
it.  When  a  little  girl  runs  out  with  her  Konichiwa  its 
like  waving  a  red  rag  at  a  bull.  The  affair  would  be  seri- 
ous if  it  weren't  so  dirt  cheap -ten  sen  (five  cents)  is 
enough  for  tea,  cakes,  and  a  ten  minutes'  rest.  The  path, 
or  rather  the  series  of  short  cuts  which  we  took,  presently 
grew  quite  scrambly,  and  we  passed  several  family 
parties  going  and  coming -the  men  helping  the  women 
with  a  chivalry  rare  in  Japan.  The  first  hour  or  so,  the 
road  had  been  thick  with  trains  of  bullock  carts  and  cool- 
ies coming  from  the  Ashio  Copper  Mines,  but  towards 
late  afternoon  grew  more  deserted.  We  were  constantly 
coming,  however,  upon  pretty  little  scenes,  on  which  we 
should  like  to  have  wasted  more  time  and  kodak  films 
than  we  did  -  a  house  interior  open  to  the  sunlight,  a  girl 
of  ten  carrying  her  baby  brother  pickaback,  stalwart 
peasants  cutting  big  armfuls  of  plumed  grass,  or  pretty 
brightly-dressed  women  and  girls  working  in  the  paddy 
fields.  About  half  past  five  we  topped  the  rise  into  the 
valley  of  Lake  Chuzenji,  which  is  higher  than  that  of 
Nikko.  A  shower  of  rain  burst  upon  us  here,  and  cooled 
the  muggy  sun-baked  air.  Hamada  seems  very  soft  for 


404  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY 

a  soldier,  and  puffs  like  a  purpoise  up  the  steep  slopes, 
but  seems  willing  and  eager  to  get  our  every  idea.  Lake 
Chuzenji  is  a  beautiful  spot,  high  up  at  the  head  of  the 
valley,  and  hemmed  in  by  rugged  forest-clad  mountains ; 
it  rivals  Lucerne.  We  scorned  the  proud  semi-Euro- 
pean villa,  which  sent  out  a  brave  runner  with  a  porter's 
cap,  to  lure  us  in,  and  stopped  at  a  quaint  little  Japanese 
inn,  the  Koymeya,  where  we  secured  a  room  to  ourselves, 
and  two  meals  for  two  and  one-half  yen  apiece.  Japan- 
ese rooms  are  usually  shared  by  nine  or  ten  persons,  un- 
less you  happen  to  be  somebody  of  very  great  impor- 
tance -  an  admiral,  a  Daimio,  or  a  Shogun,  at  least.  We 
swaggered  about  like  the  latter,  but  after  some  tea  and  a 
smoke,  condescended  to  take  a  hot  bath  with  the  crowd. 
Hamada  is  very  conscientious  and  economical,  and  sug- 
gests that  we  pay  off  our  high  priced  Nikko  coolie,  as  he 
thinks  it  would  be  cheaper  to  get  a  local  man  from  day 
to  day.  We  have  acted  upon  his  suggestion,  and  allowed 
him  to  procure  us  a  man  for  the  morrow. 

YUMOTO,  AUGUST  5.  We  slept  well  on  quilts  spread 
upon  the  mat  floor,  and  were  off  at  an  early  hour  in  the 
morning.  It  was  a  beautiful  two  hour  and  a  half  walk 
to  Yumoto,  passing  several  more  picturesque  waterfalls. 
Two  in  particular  were  tremendous  shoots  of  white  foam 
over  huge,  steeply-slanting  cliffs.  The  last  half  hour 
took  us  through  a  cup-like  depression,  which  is  celebrated, 
as  some  spot  in  nearly  every  land  is,  for  the  same  cause. 
It  has  been  the  scene  of  perhaps  half  a  dozen  battles  dur- 
ing the  course  of  Japanese  history,  and  its  fields  are 
literally  drenched  with  blood.  The  formation  of  the  land 
and  its  situation  in  the  country  at  large,  are  responsible 
for  this,  I  suppose.  It  might  be  compared  with  the  coun- 
try near  Leipsic,  the  plains  of  Plataea,  and  our  own 
Shenandoah  Valley.  As  Purdy's  feet  were  sore,  and  it 
was  slightly  raining,  and  very  cloudy,  we  decided  to  give 
up  the  ascent  of  Nan-Tai-San,  though  I  promised  myself 


NUMATA  407 


that  I  would  climb  it  in  the  afternoon,  if  it  cleared.  Yu- 
moto  is  a  quaint  little  village,  celebrated  for  its  many  hot 
sulphur  baths,  in  which  both  sexes  bathe  promiscuously, 
and  almost  constantly.  The  life  is  very  rural  and  simple, 
and  one  can  see  here  very  easily  how  the  country  folk 
live.  The  little  hotel,  Nainna,  is  very  cosy,  and  we  each 
took  a  bath  attended  by  a  cute  little  maid.  In  the  after- 
noon Purdy  stayed  indoors  to  read,  and  as  it  was  rain- 
ing, I  had  to  give  up  my  mountain  climb,  as  there  would 
be  no  view,  but  I  took  a  hard  steep  climb  up  a  rocky 
gorge,  and  got  drenched  for  my  pains.  On  the  way  back, 
towards  dusk,  I  stopped  in  at  several  of  the  baths,  and 
smoked  a  friendly  cigarette  and  aired  my  Japanese  on 
scant  acquaintances.  .  . 

YUMOTO,  AUGUST  6.  Raining,  so  we  decided  to  stay 
over  and  wait  for  Gil  and  Hervey,  especially  as  the  trail 
over  the  Konsei  Toga  Pass  is  said  to  be  almost  impossi- 
ble in  rain,  and  we  find  the  inn  cheap,  and  the  village  in- 
teresting. .  .  It  is  fun  in  the  evening  to  stroll  through 
the  three  streets  which  the  village  boasts,  and  hear  them 
splashing  in  the  inky  baths,  and  also  to  stop  and  listen 
to  the  weird  minor  flute  and  banjo  songs  being  played 
in  nearly  every  house. 

NUMATA,  AUGUST  8.  After  another  dull  day,  we  de- 
cided to  push  on  this  morning,  in  spite  of  the  nonappear- 
ance  of  Hervey  and  Gil,  and  in  spite  of  the  mist  which 
still  hung  low  in  the  valleys.  We  accordingly  left,  with 
great  regret,  this  cosy  little  hostelry,  our  German  ac- 
quaintances, our  Polish  beauty,  and  the  pretty  little  Ne 
Sans,  or  hotel  maids,  and  started  off  about  seven-thirty. 
The  ascent  of  the  Konsei  Toga  Pass,  which  is  somewhat 
less  than  eight  thousand  feet,  was  splendid  and  invigora- 
ting, though  the  trail  was  rough  and  steep,  and  we  were 
enveloped  in  clouds  or  rain  most  of  the  time.  At  the  top 
of  the  pass,  however,  the  mist  cleared,  and  we  got  a  limit- 


408  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

ed  but  very  grand  view  of  the  mountainous  country 
roundabout  with  the  dark  Tarn  Yumoto  below.  We  left 
our  straw  over- sandals  here,  and  our  faithful  puffing 
coolie  far  behind,  and  plunged  down  into  the  cool  green 
wet  depths  of  the  opposite  slope.  This  whole  section  is 
covered  with  a  dense  and  almost  primeval  forest,  and 
except  for  one  hunter's  hut,  where  we  paused  for  a  drink 
and  a  smoke,  we  saw  not  a  single  habitation  for  twelve 
miles.  Such  beauty,  profusion,  and  variety  of  wild  flow- 
ers, I  have  never  seen  before,  a  specialty  being  long  feath- 
ery sprays  of  all  sizes  and  tints.  We  paused  for  refresh- 
ment and  rest  at  a  tea  house  in  the  valley  bottom  below,  and 
then  pushed  on  to  Higashi  Ogawa,  which  we  reached  at 
two-thirty,  after  sixteen  hard  fought  miles.  Here  we  got 
beer  and  horses  (villainous  creatures),  and  though  late, 
pushed  on  for  Numata.  Hamada's  horse  had  a  cloth  sad- 
dle. One  of  my  stirrups  broke  at  the  first  encounter, 
and  there  were  three  buckle-pins,  which,  being  minus 
straps  and  tied  with  ropes,  gored  me  in  thigh  and  shin 
until  I  was  raw.  Purdy's  horse  was  most  obstinate,  and 
only  responded  to  the  belaborings  of  a  knotted  club. 
However,  the  sky  cleared  off  grandly,  and  we  enjoyed 
the  twenty  mile  ride  to  Numata  immensely.  Our  road 
this  afternoon  led  through  wide  smiling  valleys,  up  over 
another  high  pass,  down  into  deep  tortuous  ravines, 
whose  noisy  mountain  torrents  were  spanned  by  dizzy 
swinging  bridges,  and  then  out  upon  a  broad  plateau. 
The  scenery  was  most  impressive  and  reminded  me 
strongly  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  my  riding  trip 
through  the  Virginia  Mountains  with  Bill  Clow,  Chan 
McCormick,  and  Phil  Goodwin.  It  was  great  fun  to  go 
galloping  through  a  little  straw  thatched  hamlet,  where 
a  flourish  of  my  tattered  panama,  and  a  cheerfully  bel- 
lowed Konichiwa  would  bring  all  the  inhabitants  to  their 
feet  with  a  bow  and  a  smile.  These  people  one  meets  in 
the  country,  in  their  time-honored  dress,  without  tan 
shoes  and  high  collars,  and  the  general  veneer  of  western 


one]  IKAO  409 

civilization  which  one  finds  at  Yokohama  and  Nagasaki, 
seem  a  much  pleasanter  lot.  It  isn't  that  they  are  more 
polite,  but  they  seem  to  be  more  sincere  about  it,  and  are 
as  gentle,  courteous,  and  kindly  in  their  eager  curiosity 
about  foreign  ways,  and  as  thoughtful  in  their  desire  to 
please,  as  can  be  imagined.  .  . 

On  August  ninth  we  walked  from  Numata  to  Ikao 
(twenty  miles)  where  we  met  Gil  and  Hervey. 

IKAO,  AUGUST  10.  A  beautiful  clear  morning.  After 
breakfast,  Gil,  Purdy,  Hamada,  and  a  student  from  the 
Tokio  University,  whom  we  had  met  last  night,  started 
on  a  walk  to  the  Mushiyu  Baths.  I  was  reading  Le  Gal- 
lienne's  Young  Lives,  but  started  about  half  an  hour  after 
them  and  met  them  at  the  baths  about  three  and  a  half 
miles  from  the  town.  They  spring  from  the  side  of  a 
little  knoll  on  a  great  Alpine-like  table-land,  from  which 
we  got  a  splendid  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  On 
the  way  back  I  fell  in  with  another  student,  with  whom 
I  had  a  very  pleasant  talk.  After  lunch  Hervey  and  I 
walked  up  the  plateau,  pushed  over  the  divide,  and  went 
on  up  to  beautiful  Lake  Haruna.  It  is  surrounded  by 
steep,  green,  clear-cut  mountains  of  a  very  pleasing  ap- 
pearance. Over  still  another  rise,  the  path  led  us  into 
a  deep  romantic  chasm,  which  slanted 

Down  the  green  hill,  athwart  a  cedarn  cover, 

A  savage  place !     As  holy  and  enchanted 

As  e  're  beneath  a  waning  moon  was  haunted 

By  woman  wailing  for  her  demon  lover ! 

Here  we  joined  a  Japanese  gentleman,  who,  to  Her- 
vey 's  and  my  great  delight,  could  speak  no  English. 
After  passing  the  time  of  day,  I  offered  him  a  cigarette. 
He  said  he  was  going  to  the  Harunoku  Monastery,  and 
asked  us  to  accompany  him.  Shortly  afterwards  a  thun- 
derstorm broke  in  all  its  terrible  glory,  and  as  I  had 
neither  rubber  coat  like  Hervey,  umbrella,  like  our  friend, 
nor  even  hat,  as  I  should  have  had,  I  got  drenched.  The 


410  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

monastery  is  most  nobly  situated  in  a  fearful  spot, 
dark  with  a  grove  of  mighty  pines,  and  threatened  by 
towering  pinnacles  of  living  rock  which  overhang  it,  and 
seem  ready  to  fall  and  crush  it.  At  the  tea  house  Hervey 
and  I  regaled  Imatsu  San  with  tea,  cakes,  cigarettes,  and 
a  sort  of  sweet  rice  paste,  but  he  insisted  (even  to  threat- 
ening me  with  Jiu  Jitsu)  upon  buying  me  an  umbrella, 
one  of  those  oiled-paper  sorts,  painted  in  gaudy  colors, 
which  brighten  a  dark  day  and  keep  out  the  rain  quite 
as  effectively  as  our  dark  and  more  somber  ones  do.  We 
had  a  most  instructive  walk  home,  and  by  the  time  we 
reached  the  lake  it  had  cleared  once  more,  and  a  beautiful 
rainbow  rested  upon  Cheesai  Fuji-San  (Little  Mount 
Fuji)  like  a  benediction.  Still  another  storm  had  broken 
by  the  time  we  got  back  to  the  hotel  in  the  dark,  having 
enjoyed  five  kinds  of  scenery  in  all  sorts  of  weather. 

The  others  have  all  decided  to  stay  here  and  loaf  for 
three  or  four  days,  and  then  return  to  Tokio,  but  I  am 
going  to  start  for  Karuizawa  tomorrow,  either  by  foot 
or  horse  over  the  mountains,  as  this  life  just  suits  me, 
and  I  would  rather  see  the  country  people  in  the  out  of 
the  way  hamlets,  than  to  stay  at  the  summer  resorts  or 
the  big  cities,  even  though  I  may  miss  some  of  the 
"  sights."  I  also  wish  to  climb  Asama-yama,  if  I  have 
good  weather. 

IKAO,  SUNDAY,  AUGUST  11.  After  hearing  my  plans  last 
night,  Gil  decided  to  go  with  me -but  as  it  rained  all 
morning,  I  agreed  to  put  it  off.  Hervey,  homesick  for 
the  geisha  girls,  those  fair  blossoms  of  Tokio,  returned 
thither  this  morning ;  the  rest  of  us  stayed  indoors,  read, 
smoked,  and  talked.  This  afternoon  it  cleared  up  a  bit, 
and  I  went  for  a  good  tramp  with  one  of  the  students 
whom  I  met  here.  We  took  in  an  old  temple  and  a  beau- 
tiful waterfall,  and  had  a  very  pleasant  talk,  ranging 
from  wild  flowers  to  archery.  This  evening  our  German 
friend,  whom  we  had  left  at  Higashi  Ogawa,  three  days 


one]  KARUIZAWA  411 

ago,  arrived.  This  evening  at  dinner  we  rediscussed  our 
plans  over  a  bottle  of  Bordeaux.  I  shall  try  to  push  on 
to  Karuizawa -  over  the  hills -but  the  others  are  for 
Tokio,  warm  dry  weather,  and  the  girls.  The  girls  won't 
run  away,  and  I  can  wait -but  I  may  never  have  another 
chance  at  these  mountains.  My  student  friend  gave  me  a 
letter  to  a  friend  of  his  at  Matsuide,  en  route  for  Karuiza- 
wa. .  . 

KAKUIZAWA,  AUGUST  12.  It  was  very  misty  at  seven- 
thirty,  when  Hamada  and  I  bade  the  others  goodbye,  and 
started  across  the  hills  for  Matzuida.  I  sent  both  our 
bags  across  to  Karuizawa  by  train,  but  we  had  divided  in- 
to two  small  packs  our  lunch  and  toilet  articles  for  one 
night,  should  Matsuide  prove  alluring.  The  first  seven 
miles  or  so,  up  past  Lake  Haruna  and  Harunako  Monas- 
tery, I  knew,  and  we  did  it  with  a  rush,  for  once  begun 
is  half  the  battle.  We  stopped  here  for  some  time,  and 
enjoyed  tea  and  rice  cakes  dipped  in  brown  sugar  and 
cinnamon,  at  the  confectionery  restaurant  kept  by  the 
priests.  Shortly  afterwards  we  passed  through  the  queer 
little  village  of  Haruna,  built  on  a  side  hill,  and  here  I 
bought  me  some  useful  cigarettes.  They  are  called  Fujis, 
and  live  up  to  their  name,  for  though  pleasant  to  the 
taste,  they  burn  like  a  volcano.  In  spite  of  predictions 
to  the  contrary  by  the  pessimistic  or  business-like  hotel 
keeper  at  Ikao,  it  didn't  rain,  and  the  heavy  clouds  made 
our  morning's  climb  very  cool  and  pleasant.  By  one 
o'clock,  on  the  contrary,  when  we  reached  Whanjomura, 
it  had  entirely  cleared.  We  had  been  going  across  coun- 
try for  some  time  prior  to  this,  through  thick  forests, 
and  across  paddy  fields  where  a  slip  from  the  precarious 
foothold  of  a  narrow  dam,  landed  you  knee-deep  in  mud 
and  water.  We  ate  our  lunch  at  a  tea  house  in  this  little 
place,  and  then  pushed  on  over  the  hills  and  under  a 
gruelling  sun.  About  three  o'clock  as  we  wound  down 
out  of  a  little  glen,  we  came  suddenly  upon  two  young 


412  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

maidens,  shy  and  graceful  as  fawns,  disporting  them- 
selves in  a  pool  in  a  mountain  stream.  At  sight  of  us 
they  fled  tittering  and  clutching  wildly  at  kimonas. 
Nothing  daunted,  and  being  very  warm,  we  stripped  and 
plunged  in,  and  lolled  about  in  the  swift  icy  water  to  the 
huge  delight  of  a  vast  concourse  of  children  which  soon 
collected  itself  from  two  nearby  huts.  As  I  was  smoking 
a  cigarette  afterwards,  I  tossed  some  coppers  in  one  of 
their  little  wooden  water  pails,  which,  however,  none  of 
them  would  touch  until  I  explained  that  I  meant  it  for 
them.  There's  honesty  for  you!  We  reached  Matzuida 
at  four,  a  twenty-five  mile  tramp  up  and  down  hill,  and 
over  a  rough  trail.  We  pampered  ourselves  with  fruit 
and  cold  beer  in  a  tea  house,  till  it  was  time  to  take  the 
train  for  Karuizawa  (seven-five  in  the  evening)  as  Mat- 
suide  did  not  tempt  me  to  spend  a  night  within  its  gates. 
The  ride  up  to  Karuizawa  was  almost  as  steep  as  a  funi- 
cular, and  the  train  was  late,  but  though  sleepy  and  hun- 
gry I  enjoyed  it,  as  the  stars  were  out,  and  also  a  slender 
silver  crescent  moon.  I  fell  into  conversation  with  a 
couple  of  students  who  had  been  climbing  one  of  the 
neighboring  mountains  and  were  very  enthusiastic  on  the 
subject  of  pedestrianism.  A  rickshaw  ride  of  an  hour 
from  the  station,  brought  me  to  mine  hotel  by  nine-thirty. 
It  was  a  semi-European  affair,  as  Karuizawa  tempts  a 
good  many  foreign  residents  during  the  hot  summer 
months.  Our  luggage  had  not  yet  arrived.  So  I  had  sup- 
per in  my  room  -  after  a  hot  bath. 

Two  days  at  Ikao  with  ascent  of  Asama-yama-see 
Letters  and  Sketch  Note  Book. 

TOKIO,  AUGUST  15.  .  .  After  paying  my  bill  and 
giving  tips -I  really  couldn't  cut  them  out,  as  my  two 
maids  were  very  pretty -I  found  that  I  had  less  than  four 
yen  left,  so  we  both  traveled  back  to  Tokio,  third  class. 
It  was  seven  hours,  hot,  crowded,  and  uncomfortable,  but 
interesting  (see  article  on  "  Japanese  Eailway  Travel  " 


MYANOSHITA  413 


in  Sketch  Note  Book).  On  my  arrival  at  the  hotel  about 
ten,  I  found  the  others  planning  to  leave  for  Kioto  at 
eight  the  next  morning,  so,  as  I  wished  to  take  another 
walking  trip  in  the  Hakoni  District,  I  turned  in,  sleeping 
till  eleven-thirty. 

YOKOHAMA,  AUGUST  17.  .  .  There  are  four  Ameri- 
can battleships  in  the  harbor,  which  is  bright  with  craft 
of  all  kinds,  from  little  scarlet-sailed  fishing  kyaks,  to 
white  yachts  and  stately  liners.  After  my  busy  morning 
and  afternoon,  I  spent  a  rather  quiet  evening,  strolling 
about  the  city. 

MYANOSHITA,  AUGUST  18.  .  .  The  hotel  is  large  and 
rambling,  so  that  it  takes  me  nearly  half  an  hour  to  find 
my  room,  and -shall  I  confess  it -I  sometimes  lose  the 
way.  We  arrived  in  time  for  tiffin,  and  in  the  later  after- 
noon I  took  a  good  twelve  mile  tramp  to  the  top  of  a  high 
pass,  whence  a  splendid  view  over  rolling  mountainous 
country  with  the  sea  hazy  in  the  distance.  Returning  by 
moonlight,  along  a  path  leading  steeply  down  a  rocky 
gorge,  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  what  seemed  the  half-choked 
entrance  of  a  tunnel  or  chamber  cut  in  the  solid  rock.  It 
stood  some  hundred  yards  from  the  track,  half  way  up  a 
cliff,  with  no  visible  means  of  approach  by  anything  wing- 
less. The  roar  of  the  torrent  in  the  gorge,  and  the  black 
and  white  effects  of  the  moon,  roused  the  hidden  spirit  of 
mystery  and  adventure,  which  lurks  in  every  one  of  us, 
and  with  sneaking  visions  of  King  Solomon's  mines,  I 
turned  aside,  and  after  much  labor  and  many  failures, 
succeeded  in  reaching  what  proved  to  be  merely  a  great 
vaulted  cave  some  twenty  feet  deep.  It  was  too  dark  to 
do  any  rummaging,  but  I  satisfied  myself  that  there  were 
no  secret  entrances  or  exits,  no  echoing  galleries,  no  stal- 
actites, and  in  fact  no  treasure,  so  I  scrambled  back, 
lucky  in  not  spraining  my  ankle  again,  with  the  where- 
fore of  its  existence  still  unsolved.  The  scenery  about 


414 EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY 

here  is  splendid,  and  the  air  fine.  Dined  with  some  pleas- 
ant English  and  German  chaps,  who  gave  me  some  good 
information  about  Korea  and  hunting  in  Kashmir.  One 
of  them,  Captain  Worthington,  had  been  in  the  King's 
African  Rifles  in  British  East  Africa,  and  told  me  some 
wild  tales  of  man-eating  lions.  Harry  Lorrequer  this 
evening,  and  a  fine  half  moon. 

HAKONE,  AUGUST  19.  Got  away  at  eight-thirty  and 
enjoyed  the  nine  miles  to  Hakone  immensely.  Except 
for  half  a  mile  at  the  top  of  the  pass,  where  there  is  a 
tiny  lake  and  a  cosy  little  tea  house,  the  road  is  steep 
both  up  and  down.  The  day  was  gorgeous,  and  the  air  so 
tonic  that  I  scarcely  minded  the  hot  sun,  but  shouldered 
along  like  Sir  Peter  Bombazoo,  whose  ' '  head  was  full 
of  music,  and  his  mind  was  full  of  tunes,  and  he  cheer- 
fully exhibited  on  pleasant  afternoons."  We  passed 
several  parties  traveling  by  kago.  This  is  a  short  pal- 
anquin carried  by  two  men,  in  which  one  must  double 
up,  cross-legged,  and  is  all  very  well  for  the  short- 
legged  Japs,  but! -I  prefer  to  walk.  Turning  off  where 
a  little  path  up  a  knoll  seemed  to  hold  some  secret,  I 
came  upon  a  gigantic  stone  image  of  Buddha,  rough- 
hewn  from  the  living  cliff  of  granite  which  formed  its 
background,  and  framed  in  ferns  and  blossoms.  Got 
to  Hakone  a  little  after  eleven,  and  immediately  secured 
a  bathing  suit  from  the  Hotel  Ne  Sans  so  many  sizes  too 
small  for  me  that  all  the  buttons  promptly  burst  off  the 
chest,  and  had  a  splendid  swim  in  the  clear  cold  water, 
breaking  up  the  perfect  reflection  of  Fuji  with  the  waves 
of  my  first  header.  This  is  the  most  beautiful  lake  I  have 
yet  seen  in  Japan,  surrounded  as  it  is  by  rugged  hills,  and 
with  the  crystal  dome  of  Fuji  floating  in  the  gap  at  the 
far  end.  At  tiffin  I  broke  bread  with  a  florid  German, 
who,  it  seems,  owns  and  operates  a  coal  mine  at  Ping 
Chang,  about  two  days  south  of  Shang  Cha.  He  knows 
all  that  country  well,  as  he  ships  his  coal  up  to  Hankow, 


HAKONE  417 


and  gave  me  some  good  information  on  our  Chinese  trip, 
inviting  our  party  to  visit  him.  His  name  is  Herr  Lein- 
nung.  After  tiffin  I  ran  into  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Thwing,  with 
their  companions,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith,  who  had  come 
over  that  morning  by  sedan  chair  from  Myanoshita.  .  . 
About  half  past  two,  after  they  had  taken  sampan  down 
the  lake,  I  walked  along  the  shore,  past  the  emperor's 
summer  palace,  to  the  queer  little  old  village.  Here, 
turning  off,  I  climbed  up  a  steep  trail  about  seven  miles, 
to  the  top  of  the  Ten  Province  Pass.  I  got  a  beautiful 
view,  as  the  wind  was  hurrying  vast  banks  of  clouds  along 
the  horizon,  now  concealing,  now  revealing  vistas  into 
green  valleys  where  nestled  the  little  thatched  villages, 
and  glimpses  of  the  sea.  Got  back  about  six,  and  I  went 
out  for  a  row  with  Hamada,  and  gave  him  a  lesson  in 
the  gentle  art,  of  which,  like  most  Japanese,  he  is  gross- 
ly ignorant.  Pulling  over  to  where  a  tori  of  red  timber 
seemed  to  promise  at  least  a  shrine,  we  two  moved  in 
stately  procession  up  a  great  stone  stairway,  to  a  desert- 
ed little  temple  in  a  pine  grove.  Here  in  the  gathering 
twilight  we  had  several  fierce  and  mortal  combats  with 
finely  tempered  bamboo  rapiers.  As  the  lights  began  to 
twinkle  out  in  the  town  at  the  lake's  edge,  we  came  down 
the  steps  again,  now  slippery  with  our  heart's  blood, 
and  pulled  back  to  our  hotel  with  hearty  appetites.  At 
dinner  tonight  a  Swiss  joined  us,  who  told  me  about  his 
home  in  Neuchatel.  Both  he  and  Herr  Leinnung  are 
very  stiff  from  a  row,  the  former  having  indulged  for  the 
first  time  in  eleven  years,  and  the  latter  having  been  out 
upon  his  maiden  cruise.  .  .  Sat  up  half  the  night  talk- 
ing of  things  Chinese  and  possible  trips  through  central 
and  southern  China  with  Herr  Leinnung. 

About  nine  it  started  to  rain  in  an  ashamed  gentle  sort 
of  way,  and  Hamada,  the  croaker,  prophesied  a  bad  day 
on  the  morrow,  advising  that  we  stay  over.  This  last  I 
really  believe  was  due  to  the  fact  that  I  had  already  in- 
formed him  that  we  were  to  part  at  Namadsu.  .  . 


418  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

NAMADSTJ,  AUGUST  20.  Today  is  my  birthday  and  as 
far  as  weather  is  concerned  has  been  a  perfect  corker  - 
at  which  I  jeered  poor  Hamada-last  night's  rain  having 
washed  air,  sky,  and  country  as  clean  as  crystals.  Had  a 
plunge  before  breakfast  and  got  away  before  seven.  I 
don't  know  when  I've  enjoyed  a  day's  walk  more  thor- 
oughly-the  scenery  was  splendid,  the  going  good  and  I 
have  gotten  into  splendid  trim  with  all  my  recent  tramp- 
ing. The  road  we  followed  down  to  Namadsu  was  the 
old  Hokaido  or  state  highway  half  of  it  paved  for  most 
of  the  distance  with  great  flat  stone  slabs.  The  path  at 
first  took  us  up  over  the  Ubago  Hills  where  we  met  coolies 
coming  down  with  great  loads  of  glistening  grass  they 
had  been  cutting  on  the  open  highlands.  Prom  here  we 
wound  slowly  down  some  ten  miles  or  so  to  Namadsu 
getting  splendid  views  of  majestic  old  Fuji  at  intervals 
all  morning.  Arrived  at  Namadsu  before  twelve  and  in 
plenty  of  time  for  my  train  which  would  have  gotten  me 
to  Kioto  for  a  birthday  dinner  with  the  others,  but  as  the 
lazy  coolie  with  my  bag  didn't  put  in  his  appearance  till 
nearly  one,  I  was  forced  to  wait  over.  Bade  Hamada 
goodbye  and  parted  from  him  with  regret  at  two-thirty, 
sending  him  back  to  Tokio.  He  has  been  entirely  satis- 
factory but  more  as  a  friend  than  a  servant.  Spent  the 
afternoon  and  evening  at  a  pleasant  little  inn -had  a 
swim  and  a  nap  and  did  some  writing,  played  with  some 
cute  little  kids  and  taught  parlor  tricks  to  a  couple  of 
pretty  ne  sans.  Will  take  a  midnight  train  which  gets 
me  to  Kioto  early  tomorrow  morning. 

KIOTO,  AUGUST  21.  After  breakfast  took  a  ride  about 
the  city,  did  some  shopping  and  stopped  for  an  hour  or 
so  at  a  cloisonne  manufactory.  Had  lunch  with  Mr.  Bos- 
well  Bates  and  some  Princeton  lads.  This  afternoon 
Johnnie,  Ted,  Wally,  and  I  went  out  to  the  Hall  of  Manly 
Virtue  (the  best  Jiu  Jitsu  Club  in  Kioto)  to  which  friends 
of  Johnnie  had  gotten  us  membership  tickets  and  took 


one]  KIOTO  419 

lessons  for  a  strenuous  hour  and  a  half.  There  are  no 
showers  in  the  building  so  after  it  was  over  we  limped 
out  to  an  old  stone  well  in  a  grove  of  trees  and  took  turns 
pumping  and  throwing  buckets  of  cold  water  over  each 
other.  Took  a  stroll  about  the  city  this  evening  with 
Gil,  and  discussed  many  possible  plans  and  trips :  Persia, 
Cochinchina,  Assam,  and  a  trip  into  Thibet  and  then 
down  the  course  of  the  Irrawaddy  to  discover  the  great 
falls  which  must  be  there  somewhere. 

KIOTO,  AUGUST  22.  After  breakfast  and  a  swapping 
of  yarns -in  which  I  unanimously  had  the  best  of  it -we 
went  out  to  the  Golden  Pavilion  and  Temple.  This  is 
a  delightfully  quiet,  secluded,  dreamy  place,  as  happy  in 
its  gardens  as  in  its  lovely  buildings.  The  ceremonial 
tea  they  gave  us  in  the  temple  was  as  thick  as  pea  soup, 
and  had  '  *  beaded  bubbles  winking  at  the  brim. ' '  It  was 
most  uncommon  good,  being  a  special  kind  made  from  a 
sort  of  tea  powder,  with  the  grounds  left  in  (like  Turkish 
coffee),  which  makes  it  so  rich  and  thick.  We  couldn't 
eat  all  the  cakes  they  gave  us,  so  folded  up  the  rest  in 
our  handkerchiefs,  in  true  Japanese  fashion.  .  .  On 
the  way  home,  we  stopped  at  the  Toji-in  Temple,  which 
boasted  some  fine  statues,  and  then  at  a  manufactory  of 
tapestry,  embroidery,  and  silk  design  weaving.  The  work 
itself  was  interesting,  but  not  complex,  and  we  were 
shown  some  lovely  pieces.  .  .  In  the  evening  I  dined 
with  Ted  and  Johnnie  at  their  hotel,  the  Matsunoya,  a 
native  inn,  where  there  are  some  jolly  girls,  and  later 
Wally  and  I  went  to  a  Japanese  theater.  The  most  in- 
teresting thing  was  a  double  murder  drama  on  a  revolv- 
ing stage.  The  hero,  a  splendid  swordsman,  comes 
sneaking  up  at  the  critical  moment  to  the  villain's  house 
to  murder  him.  The  latter 's  mistress,  however,  gives  the 
alarm,  and  the  double-dyed  rascal  springs  out  the  win- 
dow to  hide  in  the  garden.  While  the  hero  is  trying  to 
get  out  after  him,  the  lady  ties  a  long  scarf  around  his 


420  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

sword-arm,  and  holds  him  back  from  behind.  Nothing 
daunted,  however,  he  plunges  out  into  the  darkness,  drag- 
ging the  woman  behind  him,  for  she  still  holds  the  sash. 
The  stage  revolves  slowly,  and  you  can  see  the  villain 
groping  his  way  on  ahead  through  the  darkness.  Behind 
him,  grim  as  fate,  comes  the  murderer.  On  the  top  of  a 
big  stone  bridge,  he  finds  his  strength  failing  him,  and 
pulling  the  woman  up  to  him  hand  over  hand  along  the 
sash,  he  stabs  her  and  goes  on.  At  last,  on  the  steps  of  a 
little  temple,  he  comes  upon  the  villain.  There  is  no 
ranting,  and  they  fall  to  silently.  Livid  blue  sparks  are 
drawn  from  the  finely  tempered  blades,  which  flash  like 
lightning  in  the  darkness,  and  at  last  the  villain  bites  the 
dust  in  the  good  old  fashioned  way  and  pays  the  penalty 
for  his  many  crimes.  He  died  hard,  however,  and  took 
a  lot  of  stabbing !  The  hero  then  retraces  his  steps  in  a 
sort  of  nightmare  of  remorse  and  grief,  steps  over  the 
body  of  the  dead  woman  on  the  bridge,  and  so  back  to 
the  house -the  stage  revolving  the  other  way.  Here  he 
picks  up  the  head  of  his  lady  love,  whom  the  villain  had 
killed  earlier  in  the  play,  regards  it  bitterly,  and  commits 
hari-kari.  The  other  play  (there  were  two  given)  was  a 
very  amusing  satire  on  the  so-called  "  High-collars,"  the 
young  Jap  bloods  who  are  imitating  European  fashions. 
In  many  ways  a  Japanese  theatre  can  give  points  in  com- 
fort to  ours.  To  be  sure,  there  are  no  chairs,  but  one  can 
be  very  comfortable  with  mats  and  cushions.  Further- 
more, there  is  a  restaurant  in  connection,  so  that  if  you 
care  to  stay  long  enough -the  performances  last  about 
seven  or  eight  hours  at  the  best  theaters -you  can  have 
dinner  served  in  your  box.  Pretty  little  theater  maids 
are  only  too  glad  to  do  this  for  you,  as  well  as  to  supply 
you  with  tea,  cigarettes,  iced  peaches,  and  the  bill.  The 
theater  was  very  large,  nearly  as  big  as  the  Hippodrome, 
cool  and  airy.  The  aisles  are  differently  arranged  from 
ours,  being  raised  sections  between  the  boxes  below  them, 
whose  side  walls  they  form.  Two-thirds  of  the  ground 


KIOTO  421 


floor,  and  the  entire  first  gallery,  is  given  up  to  boxes, 
which,  however,  are  cheaper  than  ours.  In  addition  to 
these  aisles,  there  is  a  large  walk  about  fifteen  feet  wide, 
running  from  the  center  of  the  stage  to  a  closed  apart- 
ment at  the  back  of  the  house.  The  actors  parade  on 
this  at  the  beginning  of  the  performance,  and  it  is  very 
useful  when  there  are  * '  armies, "  "  mobs, "  or  "  villag- 
ers" on  the  stage.  When  these  are  not  disporting  them- 
selves, the  children  of  the  audience  use  it  as  a  playground. 
A  gentleman  in  the  next  box  invited  Wally  and  me  over 
to  take  refection  with  him,  and  gave  us  an  invitation  to 
dine  some  days  later,  which  we  were  unfortunately  not 
able  to  accept. 

KIOTO,  AUGUST  23.  This  morning  I  produced  the  per- 
mits for  the  Imperial  Palace,  the  Shogun's  Palace,  and 
the  Kioto  Fortress,  which  Mr.  Wright  had  gotten  for  me. 
These  first  two  buildings  are  not  used  now,  as  the  capital 
was  changed  to  Tokio  about  fifty  years  ago.  The  fur- 
niture, therefore,  has  been  taken  out,  but  the  wonderful 
decorations  of  carvings  and  paintings  have  been  left,  and 
prove  them  to  have  been  worthy  seats  of  power  for  the 
old  Japanese  regime.  Some  of  the  carvings  on  the  door- 
ways, which  were  made  of  one  piece,  the  side  facing  each 
room  being  entirely  different,  were  little  short  of  mirac- 
ulous. How  instruments  could  be  made  delicate  enough 
to  do  the  interior  carving  of  branches,  leaves,  flowers, 
vines,  etc.,  passes  my  comprehension,  unless  the  books 
lie,  and  the  thing  was  made  in  parts  and  fitted  together. 
The  ceilings  are  all  painted  in  panels  between  the  heavy 
wooden  beams,  and  usually  represent  skies  with  tree  tops 
extending  over  from  the  edges  of  the  room,  and  birds  and 
clouds  in  the  center.  One  starlight  effect  in  purple  and 
silver,  seen  through  interlacing  bamboos  of  vivid  green, 
was  indescribably  lovely.  One  room  had  its  walls  paint- 
ed as  depicting  a  snow  scene,  and  the  laden  branches  of 
the  pine  trees  were  as  true  to  life  as  if  they  had  been 


422  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

snapped  in  a  Canadian  woods.  The  Japanese  are  least 
happy  in  their  presentations  of  animals  -  their  lions, 
tigers,  elephants,  leopards,  bears,  antelope,  etc.,  are  in- 
teresting, but  distorted.  They  are  most  successful  at 
birds  and  flowers  and  fishes.  Some  of  the  screens,  which 
are  over  three  thousand  years  old,  representing  pictures 
of  rural  life,  are  as  clear  and  distinct  as  in  the  days  when 
the  old  masters  painted  them.  In  one  room,  we  found 
nothing  but  trees,  but  were  told  that  a  noted  artist  had 
painted  the  branches  full  of  sparrows.  He  had  done  this 
so  realistically,  however,  that  when  daylight  came  in  the 
next  day,  they  all  spread  their  wings  and  flew  away! 
This  must  certainly  be  true,  because  there  are  only  the 
bare  branches  here  today.  The  fortress  was  a  vision  of 
golden  loveliness  inside  its  grim  old  walls.  There  are 
endless  reception  and  council  rooms,  connected  by  long 
corridors  all  beautifully  painted.  .  .  I  visited  the 
great  Chion-in  Temple,  celebrated  for  its  paintings,  huge 
bronze  bell,  and  the  weird  effect  of  the  floors  in  its  many 
galleries.  They  are  cunningly  constructed  to  emit  sounds 
like  the  Japanese  nightingale,  at  every  footfall.  There 
was  a  heavy  odor  of  oriental  incense,  and  ever  and  anon 
the  dull  booming  of  drums  from  the  outer  courtyard, 
and  the  droning  intonations  from  the  priests  in  an  inner 
room  could  be  heard  while  I  was  in  the  main  building.  I 
repaired  again  to  the  Matsunoya  Hotel  for  tea  and  a  bath, 
where  our  plans  were  thoroughly  discussed.  I  am  still 
of  the  same  opinion  as  regards  Purdy's  and  Hervey's 
wild  scheme -it  is  undoubtedly  a  good  trip,  but  not,  I 
think,  as  good  as  what  Gil  and  I  are  planning  to  do.  For 
instance,  I  also  envy  the  other  four  their  glimpse  of  Si- 
beria and  Eussia,  but  wouldn't  for  a  moment  think  of 
changing  and  going  with  them.  The  only  redeeming 
features  of  Purdy's  plan,  to  my  mind,  are  the  thorough 
knowledge  they  will  have  of  that  part  of  China  through 
which  they  go,  and  the  side  trips  which  it  may  unfold; 
but  even  here,  I  think  we  can  beat  them,  North  China, 


one]  KIOTO  423 

Manchuria,  Mongolia,  and  Korea,  are  all  fuller  of  meat,  in- 
terest, and  adventure  than  south  China,  or  so  the  know- 
ing ones  say. 

In  the  evening  I  did  some  writing,  and  then  took  a 
stroll  with  Gil.  There  was  a  splendid  full  moon.  It's 
very  suggestive  to  think  of  the  thousands  of  others :  work- 
ing men,  lovers,  dreamers,  tired  business-men,  and  sol- 
itary trappers,  who  are  enjoying  this  same  moon  tonight 
in  many  lands.  On  how  many  strange  and  widely  differ- 
ent scenes  must  she  smile  benignly  down :  in  pity  upon  all 
the  misery  she  beholds,  and  is  helpless  to  prevent -in 
tenderness  upon  all  the  happiness,  much  of  which  she 
helps  to  create.  How  many  a  proposal,  I  wonder,  has 
the  glamour  of  her  silver  mantle  helped  to  success  to- 
night? 

KIOTO,  AUGUST  24.  .  .  I  then  went  over  to  the  Hong 
Wan-ji  Temples  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town,  where 
I  spent  the  entire  morning.  The  first  of  these,  the  Higa- 
shi,  is  the  largest  in  the  empire,  and  the  most  impressive 
thing  I've  seen  so  far.  The  Amida-do,  or  second  build- 
ing of  this  temple,  has  a  huge  heavily  gilded  chancel  run- 
ning through  its  entire  length.  In  the  connecting  gal- 
lery is  a  huge  coil  of  hair  rope -a  sacrifice  of  poor  women 
who  had  nothing  else  to  give  to  the  temple,  which  was 
built  by  subscription.  There  are  twenty-nine  of  these 
coils  altogether,  and  they  are  said  to  have  come  in  very 
useful  for  hauling  timber,  stone,  etc.  The  second,  or 
Nishi  Hong  Wan-ji  Temple,  boast  some  exquisite  paint- 
ings, not  so  good,  however,  as  those  at  the  Imperial  Pal- 
ace. I  had  just  time  to  get  to  the  Jiu  Jitsu  School  at  one, 
where  my  wrestling  at  Yale  stood  me  in  good  stead  today, 
as  we  were  advanced  to  harder  and  more  complicated 
falls.  Johnny  Victor  was  too  stiff  and  sore  to  appear. 
After  throwing  our  usual  buckets  of  water  from  the  old 
stone  well  over  each  other,  we  went  back  to  the  hotel  for 
tiffin.  I  didn't  get  through  until  three,  and  then  read 


424  EXTEACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

Lafcadio  Hearn's  Romance  of  the  Milky  Way  and  Other 
Studies  and  Stories  till  four-thirty,  when  I  visited  some 
lacquer  and  silk  stores. 

This  evening  we  paid  back  the  dinner  given  for  us  by 
Mr.  Inangaki,  and  Johnny's  boy,  "  General  Bosh,"  ar- 
ranged everything  for  us  at  the  proud  and  exclusive 
Daika  Restaurant.  The  party -which  proved  the  best 
we've  had  so  far -started  about  six  o'clock,  with  an  ex- 
change of  civilities  and  brimming  sake  cups.  We, 
through  the  general,  must  of  course  run  down  our  own 
entertainment  and  thank  him  for  his  own  last  one,  and, 
in  advance,  for  his  invitation  to  visit  his  villa  near  Kobe. 
This  is  the  sample  of  the  way  it  went  for  the  first  half 
hour.  We-"  Tell  Mr.  Inangaki  that  we  are  ashamed 
to  have  him  appear  at  such  a  miserable  dinner,  especially 
after  the  gorgeous  and  elaborate  way  in  which  he  enter- 
tained us  the  other  day.  We  feel  that  it  is  an  insult  to 
expect  such  a  thing  of  him,  and  only  his  great  kindness 
and  condescension  have  given  us  the  pleasure  of  his  com- 
pany." Mr.  Inangaki-"  Tell  my  honored  hosts  that  I 
have  never  in  my  whole  life  been  to  any  party  that  I  en- 
joyed half  as  much  as  I  feel  sure  I  shall  enjoy  this  one. 
Tell  them  that  the  honor  of  the  invitation  almost  took 
my  breath  away,  and  that  I  have  been  so  overcome  by 
their  distinguished  presence  ever  since  I  arrived,  that  I 
know  I  have  behaved  very  badly,  for  which  I  hope  they 
will  excuse  me,  as  I  am  only  a  miserable  worm  anyway. ' ' 
We  -  *  *  We  have  traveled  in  many  lands  and  seen  many 
peoples,  but  never  have  we  seen  so  wonderful  a  land  as 
Japan,  and  never  have  we  met  so  polished,  witty,  and 
kind-hearted  a  gentleman  as  Mr.  Inangaki.  When  we 
get  home  we  will  boast  about  him  to  all  our  friends,  and 
in  the  years  to  come  we  will  tell  our  children  how  the 
great  man  condescended  to  come  and  eat  with  us,  his 
humble  admirers."  Mr.  Inangaki -"  Japan  is  honored 
that  such  distinguished  visitors  should  have  thought  it 
worth  their  trouble  to  have  come  thousands  of  miles  in 


one]  KIOTO  425 

the  heat  of  the  summer  from  their  own  splendid  country 
to  visit  such  a  one-horse  kingdom."  etc.,  etc. 

Afterwards,  however,  things  grew  pleasanter  and  more 
informal,  and  our  guest  presented  us  all  with  silk  fans, 
upon  which  he  had  had  special  pictures  painted  during 
the  day.  Mine  was  the  picturesque  Daiko  Hill,  to  the 
northeast  of  the  town.  Later  in  the  evening,  as  he  got 
rather  heavily  in  his  cups,  he  wrote  all  sorts  of  tender 
compliments  and  sentiments  on  the  backs  of  our  fans,  and 
on  long  strips  of  paper  with  which  he  presented  us. 
John  and  Wally  sat  next  to  him,  and  had  to  keep  up  a 
running  fire  of  compliments,  small  talk,  and  disclaimers 
for  the  San  Francisco  affair,  all  evening,  but  as  the 
geishas -who  presently  came  in,  did  a  dance  and  joined 
the  party -were  very  pretty,  the  waitresses  very  assidu- 
ous with  the  sake  cups,  and  the  food  excellent,  we  others 
enjoyed  ourselves  immensely.  The  etiquette,  according 
to  General  Bosh,  is  to  keep  pressing  your  guest  or  host 
to  drink,  by  politely  sending  up  your  cup  to  him.  At  a 
banquet  of  this  sort,  this  is  kept  up  all  during  dinner, 
and  afterwards  until  he  passes  away,  for  then,  and  not 
till  then,  may  the  rice  and  tea  be  brought  in.  We  fol- 
lowed these  instructions  to  the  letter,  and  as  we  were 
six  to  one,  it  didn't  take  us  long.  .  .  By  and  by  the 
fun  waxed  fast  and  furious -Ted  and  Johnny  tried  to 
learn  a  Japanese  dance  from  the  geishas,  and  Gil  and  I 
undertook  to  teach  them  the  ' '  Boston, ' '  with  all  its  fancy 
and  grapevine  appendages  -  and  presently  we  were  all 
dancing  around  with  the  geishas,  learning  new  steps  and 
teaching  them  ours.  One  was  older  than  the  others  and 
a  sort  of  ringleader,  but  more  fun  than  a  little.  She  had 
the  ugliest  face  I  have  ever  seen,  and  we  called  her  * '  Old 
Bird  San  "  which  tickled  her  hugely.  She  made  a  series 
of  the  most  killing  faces  I  have  ever  seen,  and  used  to 
reach  around  and  crack  someone  on  the  knuckles  when 
they  weren't  looking,  upon  which  it  would  be  up  to  me 
to  titter  and  say  "  O  mushi  roy  "  [what  a  good  joke]  to 


426  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

her  infinite  amusement.  By  twelve  o'clock  all  sorts  of 
games  were  afoot,  and  our  host  was  hurrahing  and  Ban- 
zai-ing  and  shaking  hands  with  Wally,  whom  he  took  for 
his  uncle,  Secretary  Taft,  the  honor  of  whose  presence 
nearly  overcame  him.  .  . 

KIOTO,  SUNDAY,  AUGUST  25.  .  .  I  had  dinner  with 
Gil  at  the  Matsenoya  Hotel,  and  persuaded  him  into  go- 
ing up  Fuji  with  me  and  Warren  Powell,  and  later  join- 
ing me  in  Peking  for  a  trip  into  north  China  and  Shang- 
cha.  Later,  being  stiff  from  Jiu  Jitsu,  I  had  an  hour's 
massage  by  a  blind  masseur,  or  Ama,  who  handled  me  in 
a  way  that  the  Terrible  Turk  need  not  have  despised. 
One  of  his  pet  tricks  I  call  *  *  climbing  Fuji. ' '  I  lay  flat 
on  my  stomach  upon  a  mat,  and  he,  with  his  hands  on  a 
chair  at  my  head,  ran  up  and  down  my  back  like  a  squir- 
rel in  a  cage.  Another  one  of  his  favorites  was  to  place 
his  hands  on  my  heels,  and  with  one  foot  in  the  small  of 
my  back,  and  the  other  waving  in  the  air,  leap  up  and 
down -which  I  imagine  was  more  fun  for  him  than  for 
me.  These  Japanese  Amas  make  it  their  boast  that  they 
are  able  to  dislocate  and  replace  carefully,  every  bone  in 
your  body,  besides  unlimbering,  stretching  and  oiling  up 
every  stray  muscle.  When  he  was  through  I  felt  as 
though  I  had  had  a  couple  of  hours'  violent  exercise. 

KOBE,  AUGUST  26.  Last  three  days  of  rain  have  made 
one  of  the  worst  floods  on  record  in  Japan.  Purdy,  Gil, 
and  I  leaving  for  Kobe  about  eleven,  got  through  all 
right,  but  the  others,  leaving  later,  were  delayed  about 
six  hours,  having  to  be  switched  about  into  a  roundabout 
route.  It  was  a  mighty  fine  sight  coming  down  to  see 
the  terribly  swollen  rivers  rushing  madly  over  the  whole 
country  -  breaking  three  feet  deep  through  the  forests, 
flooding  valleys  and  villages,  and  threatening  the  very 
bridges  which  we  were  crossing.  Beinecke  met  us  at  the 
station,  and  after  lunch  and  a  visit  to  the  bank  and  a 


one]  ON  THE  INLAND  SEA  427 

haberdasher  store,  we  went  out  to  a  fine  big  waterfall. 
As  we  were  going  up  a  rocky  path  towards  it,  I  stopped 
to  light  a  pipe  in  the  shelter  of  a  tea  house,  and  a  couple 
of  beautiful  sirens  rushed  out  and  tried  to  drag  me  in, 
but  I  hadn't  fogotten  my  Jiu  Jitsu.  We  went  through  a 
manufactory  of  Satsuma  ware  on  the  way  back.  After 
dinner  we  chartered  a  sampan  and  floated  out  over  the 
myriad-lighted  harbor  under  a  glorious  full  moon. 
When  we  got  back  about  ten-thirty,  we  found  Ted  and 
John  had  arrived,  and  I  walked  them  out  a  mile  or  so  to 
see  the  waterfall  by  moonlight.  The  air  was  soft  and 
warm,  the  moon  a  rich  golden  color,  and  the  streets  gay 
with  rosy  paper  lanterns. 

ON  THE  INLAND  SEA,  AUGUST  27.  .  .  Gil  and  I  also 
shipped  our  extra  luggage  to  Hong  Kong.  Ted,  John, 
Gil,  and  I  having  accepted  Mr.  Inangaki's  invitation,  then 
went  out  to  his  summer  villa  at  Suma,  where  we  met 
Wally  and  Reese.  He  has  beautiful  grounds,  garden, 
and  country  house,  and  as  the  entertainment  was  lavish, 
our  host  cordial,  and  the  other  Japanese  guests  pleasant, 
we  spent  a  most  enjoyable  day.  Finding  on  our  return 
that  the  floods  had  destroyed  so  many  bridges  between 
Kobe  and  Tokio  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  us  to 
reach  Gotemba,  Gil  and  I  were  forced,  with  great  re- 
luctance, to  give  up  our  ascent  of  Fuji,  and  decided  to 
take  a  night  boat  down  the  Inland  Sea  and  visit  Myajima, 
with  Ted  and  John.  So  having  an  ample  tiffin  basket, 
and  some  bottles  of  useful  beer  prepared  at  the  Oriental 
Hotel,  we  bade  Purdy  a  long  goodbye  (he  and  Hervey 
sail  at  midnight  tomorrow  for  Shang-hai)  and  embarked 
about  seven-thirty.  This  night  ride  has  been  one  of  the 
most  enjoyable  I've  ever  had.  A  golden  moon,  and  a 
calm  sea  dotted  with  innumerable  sampans  and  white- 
sailed  fishing  boats,  and  backed  by  rugged  hills,  waked 
half  forgotten  memories  of  long  night  cruises  on  Long 
Island  Sound,  and  early  morning  plunges.  Ted  and  I 


428  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

crooned  over  all  the  memory  songs  we  could  think  of,  and 
then  long  after  the  others  had  turned  in,  I  dozed  and 
dreamed  on  deck  till  two  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

MYAJIMA,  AUGUST  28.  Up  early  this  morning  in  time 
to  see  a  gold  and  pink  sunrise  against  the  purple  hills. 
When  I  got  dressed  for  good  at  seven-thirty,  we  were  tak- 
ing on  passengers  at  a  funny  little  fishing  village,  nestling 
down  at  the  foot  of  a  rugged  mountain.  The  Inland  Sea 
has  a  charm  and  a  flavor  all  its  own,  and  is  as  distinctive 
of  Japan  as  Nikko.  It  is  an  edition  de  luxe  of  the 
Thousand  Islands,  with  the  sharp  hills  of  the  Rhine,  and 
the  marine  life  which  I  imagined  would  be  found  only 
in  the  South  Seas,  the  Malay  Archipelago,  and  the  south- 
ern coast  of  China. 

Land  of  the  rock  and  rill 
And  wreathing  mist  and  pine, 
Flowers  bloom  in  thee  at  will 
Dear  loved,  sweet,  land  divine. 

Sunshine  and  fleeting  shower 

Across  thy  gardens  sweep, 

Wherein  the  balmy  air, 

Rocks  lotus  buds  to  sleep. 

Tea  and  rice  we  got  from  the  steward,  and  with  our 
own  cold  meat,  eggs,  bread  and  butter,  and  fruit  made  a 
very  creditable  breakfast.  The  scenery  continued  fine 
all  morning  under  a  perfect  sky.  This  sea  is  generally 
conceded  to  be  the  most  beautiful  stretch  of  water  in  the 
world.  The  channel  is  so  narrow  in  places  as  hardly  to 
admit  of  the  passing  of  two  ships.  The  rocks,  pines, 
wooded  hills,  villas,  temples,  pagodas,  and  sampans,  com- 
bined with  clear  water  and  innumerable  mountain  streams 
flowing  into  it,  make  it  as  near  fairyland  as  possible.  I 
have  been  dipping  into  Pierre  Loti's  Madame  Chrys- 
antheme  at  odd  moments.  Although  pleasant  enough 
reading,  it  does  not  give  a  fair  view  of  Japan  or  the 
Japanese  people,  since  he  never  left  Nagasaki -the  least 


one]  MYAJIMA  429 

pleasant  city  in  the  islands,  I  should  think -during  his 
entire  visit.  At  tiffin  we  concocted  a  new  and  delectable 
dish,  with  the  following  simple  ingredients:  Bice,  tea, 
eggs,  butter,  pepper,  salt,  and  fish.  About  five  we  passed 
Uji,  a  considerable  shipping  town,  where  there  were  two 
dismantled  Russian  battleships  captured  in  the  war. 
From  here  to  Myajima  was,  if  possible,  even  more  per- 
fect-great rocky  cliffs  and  wooded  hills  rising  sheer  out 
of  the  clear  blue  of  the  sea.  About  six-thirty  we  landed 
in  sampans  at  Myajima,  the  quintessence  of  scenery  to 
the  Japanese  mind,  with  its  great  wooden  tori,  through 
which  the  flowing  tide  comes  right  in  under  the  floating 
temple,  as  through  a  veritable  water-gate.  Gil  was  so 
enchanted  that  he  decided  to  stay  a  day  or  so  with  me, 
and  we  put  up  at  the  Iwaso  Hotel -the  best  native  inn 
we've  yet  come  across.  After  dinner  we  went  over  to 
the  semi-Europeon  Mikado  Hotel,  and  bade  John  and 
Ted  farewell.  They  leave  tonight  to  join  Wally  and 
Reese  in  the  north,  from  whence  they  go  across  to  Vladi- 
vostok, and  home  via  the  Trans-Siberian.  In  the  even- 
ing young  Kobiashi  San,  whom  Gil  had  met  on  the  boat, 
came  around  and  took  us  to  see  a  village  festival.  In 
the  center  of  a  rectangular  runway  a  wild  orchestra  was 
playing  savage  music,  a  huge  temple  drum  kept  time  and 
around  it  danced  -  or  rather  strutted,  turned,  and  posed  - 
men,  women,  girls,  boys,  and  even  children,  all  with  their 
faces  covered  with  big  grass  hats,  tied  down  with  sashes, 
and  pierced  with  eye  holes.  We  were  in  native  garb 
again,  and  strolled  about  through  the  ancient  town.  Aft- 
erwards we  had  a  party  at  our  own  room. 

MYAJIMA,  AUGUST  29.  Just  as  we  were  finishing  our 
morning  bath,  Kobiashi  San  came  around  and  asked  us 
to  climb  the  temple-crowned  peak  which  rises  about  two 
thousand  feet  in  the  center  of  the  island.  He  waited 
till  we  had  had  breakfast,  and  then  we  all  sallied  forth, 
only  to  lose  our  way  in  this  park-like  island,  and  have 


430  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

to  enquire  at  a  villa  through  whose  bamboo  palings  we 
could  see  some  Japs  playing  tennis.  There  was  a  broad 
stone  stairway  leading  all  the  way  up,  and  many  little 
stone  bridges,  shrines,  small  temples  nobly  situated,  and 
the  inevitable  tea  houses.  There  are  more  tea  houses  in 
Japan  to  the  square  foot  than  beer  gardens  in  Germany, 
and  I  can't  say  more  than  that.  The  Aussicht  (I  won't 
say  view  again  so  soon)  was  the  most  comprehensive  I 
have  yet  seen ;  the  Inland  Sea  winding  and  twisting  about 
below  us,  and  dotted  with  its  myriad  islets,  the  great  Tori 
Temple  and  little  village  directly  beneath,  the  steep  nar- 
row wooded  ravines  up  which  we  had  clambered,  the  dis- 
tant hills  on  the  mainland,  all  combined  to  form  a  pan- 
orama of  enchanting  loveliness.  Coming  down,  we  visit- 
ed the  famous  Hall  of  a  Thousand  Mats  [the  mats,  which 
are  about  three  by  two  feet,  are  used  to  indicate  surface 
measure  in  Japan],  founded  by  Hideyoshi  and  used  as 
his  Council  Room,  and  then  skulled  out  in  a  sampan - 
they're  easier  to  handle  than  they  look -to  a  calm  cove 
of  rock,  cave,  and  shingle.  Here  we  stripped,  swam,  and 
basked  in  the  warm  sun  for  a  couple  of  hours ;  and  then 
we  repaired  to  the  Mikado  for  a  late  but  very  welcome 
tiffin.  We  spent  the  afternoon  visiting  the  sacred  temple 
built  out  over  the  water  (partly  on  rafts)  and  its  many 
treasures :  notably  the  great  sword  of  Benki,  the  Japanese 
Sampson,  with  which  he  killed  one  thousand  men.  At 
festival  time  the  stone  lanterns  with  which  the  island  is 
dotted,  are  all  lighted,  and  there  is  a  grand  geisha  dance 
of  about  fifty  girls  on  a  floating  platform  in  front  of  the 
temple.  After  tea  and  a  bath,  we  had  a  long  chat  with 
our  friend,  who  is  remarkably  well  informed,  and  quite 
a  scholar.  He  left  about  six  to  catch  the  boat  for  Bingo  - 
going  way  down  on  the  Bingo  farm,  I  suppose,  B-I-N- 
G-0-but  missed  it,  and  turned  up  again  after  dinner. 
Mino,  Gil's  little  boy  from  Nikko,  was  very  amusing,  giv- 
ing imitations  of  foreign  theaters.  I  suppose  he  had 
been  once  or  twice  to  see  one  of  those  third  rate  traveling 


one]  MYAJIMA  431 

companies  perform  at  Yokohama.  He  cocked  Gil's  hat 
over  one  ear,  talked  in  a  gruff  nasal  voice,  and  strode  up 
and  down  the  room  beating  his  chest.  Every  now  and 
then  we  would  catch  a  word  which  sounded  something  like 
English. 

MYAJIMA,  AUGUST  30.  After  a  cold  plunge  and  a  late 
breakfast,  we  took  a  stroll  through  the  town,  stopping  at 
most  of  the  bazaars.  This  is  a  sacred  island  devoted  al- 
most entirely  to  religion  (though  there  are  a  few  summer 
villas  here) ;  and  the  villagers  cater  almost  entirely  to 
pilgrims,  selling  little  wooden  miniatures  of  the  temple 
and  tori,  tiny  soapstone  lanterns,  incense,  candles,  flowers, 
and  presents  for  offerings  at  the  temple  shrines.  We  are 
quite  content  to  be  mere  loafers  and  lotus-eaters  in  this 
idyllic  spot,  and  spent  a  very  lazy  morning.  There  are 
a  good  many  deer  on  the  island  running  free,  and  of 
course  not  disturbed  by  anyone.  Kodaks  are  not  allowed 
anywhere  in  the  Inland  Sea,  as  you  are  always  within  a 
radius  of  ten  miles  of  some  fort  or  other.  We  lunched 
again  at  the  Mikado  Hotel,  as  one  of  the  maids  there  is 
particularly  chic  and  pretty  -  "  0  Kina  San. ' '  Gil  and 
Mino  left  for  Kobe  about  two  o'clock,  intending  to  take 
my  walking  trip  in  the  Hakone  district  which  I  have 
praised  to  him  in  glowing  terms.  I  expect  to  meet  him 
in  about  two  weeks  at  Peking.  I  took  another  stroll  and 
a  swim,  and  was  joined  by  several  dainty  demoiselles, 
who  looked  very  bewitching  in  their  delicate  shot-pink 
undergarments  and  white  chemises.  I  returned  to  the 
Iwaso  about  five,  and  started  what  seems  to  be  a  very  ex- 
cellent work  which  I  bought  at  Kioto- M anchuria,  its 
People,  Resources,  and  Recent  History,  by  Alexander 
Hosie,  British  consul  at  Newchwang,  1894  to  1897.  I  also 
finished  Madame  Chrysantheme.  As  a  picture  of  Japan, 
this  book  is  almost  worthless  -  but  it  gives  a  very  real  and 
true  picture  of  a  Japanesed-f  oreignized  treaty  port,  Nan- 
gasaki.  His  deductions  as  to  Japanese  character  are  al- 


432  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

so  limited  to  the  poorer  classes  in  Nangasaki  -  rickshaw 
coolies,  small  shopkeepers,  and  courtesans.  Had  he  trav- 
eled as  we  did,  and  had  the  opportunity  to  meet  all  sorts 
and  conditions  of  people,  his  picture  would  have  been  far 
rosier.  Nevertheless,  there  are  some  very  good  and  char- 
acteristic bits  of  description  -  notably  his  first  landing  in 
the  rain.  After  dinner  as  I  was  writing  some  notes,  the 
hotel  Ama,  or  masseur,  paid  me  a  little  visit.  He  doesn't 
know  any  English,  but  has  a  book  and  is  trying  to  learn. 
He  wants  to  go  to  San  Francisco  next  year,  where  he 
thinks  he  can  make  more  money.  I  helped  him  a  little, 
but  we  couldn't  do  much  in  so  short  a  time. 

SHIMONESEKI,  AUGUST  31.  Raining  this  morning,  so  I 
slept  late,  read,  wrote,  packed,  jollied  the  Ne  Sans,  and 
took  a  stroll  until  time  to  go  to  the  Mikado  for  lunch. 
Here  I  pleasantly  renewed  my  acquaintance  with  0  Kina 
San,  whom  I  call  Bepin  San, '  *  the  beautiful  one. ' '  I  had 
quite  a  time  finding  my  bag  at  the  ferry,  which  the  coolie 
from  the  Iwaso  had  ingeniously  hidden  in  a  nearby  tea 
house.  The  Emperor  Francis  Josef,  Austrian  man-of- 
war,  was  swinging  at  her  moorings  just  off  the  island,  and 
while  I  was  getting  my  ferry  ticket  and  turning  things 
topsy-turvy  to  find  my  bag,  about  thirty  sailors,  who  had 
come  ashore  to  visit  the  island,  rolled  up  and  tried  in 
German  to  buy  tickets  to  the  mainland.  Seeing  a  for- 
eigner, they  appealed  to  me  and  were  much  impressed 
when  I  was  able  to  do  the  trick  for  them -as  indeed  I  was 
myself.  It  always  seems  strange  that  you  are  under- 
stood when  talking  the  apparent  gibberish  of  a  language 
which  you  yourself  hardly  understand.  After  we  were 
all  aboard,  the  ringleader  came  up  to  find  out  the  name  of 
the  nearest  sizable  town  where  they  could  have  a  lark, 
and  the  trains  to  and  from  it.  I  therefore  planned  a  little 
trip  for  them  to  Hiroshima,  in  time  to  get  them  back  for 
duty  at  nine  in  the  evening.  When  we  got  to  Myajima 
station,  they  followed  me  off  like  a  lot  of  schoolboys. 


SHIMONESEKI  433 


They  are  the  typical  irresponsible,  happy-go-lucky-Jack- 
ashore,  out-for-a-good-time  jolly  jack-tars.  While  wait- 
ing for  their  train,  they  repaired  to  a  tea  house  for  beer, 
and  on  my  coming  up  to  give  them  some  parting  instruc- 
tions, they  all  rose  and  saluted  me.  All  the  while  1 
stayed  with  them  they  called  me  Meister,  even  those  to 
whom  I  hadn't  spoken  before.  When  I  left  they  all 
saluted  again,  and  wished  me  Gliickliche  Reise.  By  the 
way  they  all  followed  suit,  bowing  low,  I  believe  the  Ne 
Sans  thought  I  was  the  *  *  Herr  Captain  ' '  at  least.  Had 
a  pleasant  and  beautiful  ride  to  Shimoneseki.  .  .  The 
Sanyo  Hotel  was  full  when  I  arrived,  but  I  played  the 
Grand  Seigneur  with  all  my  luggage,  and  made  them  fix 
up  a  parlor  for  me.  Found  a  welcome  bunch  of  mail 
which  I  had  had  forwarded  from  Nagasaki.  An  abscess 
which  has  been  bothering  me  lately,  is  very  painful  to- 
night. The  following  is  dedicated  to  0  Kina  San,  Ichi- 
ban  Bepin!: 

MYAJIMA 

Fair  vision  of  a  dreamy  while, 

Nymph  of  the  Inland  Sea, 

For  aye  shall  linger  in  my  heart, 

The  memory  of  thee. 

Thy  dainty  grace,  thy  witching  eyes, 

Still  hold  me  in  their  spell. 

Will  the  tall  stranger's  fleeting  glance 

As  long  in  thy  heart  dwell? 

Sojourner  in  this  ancient  isle, 

Too  long  I  lingered  there, 

Caught  by  the  magic  of  thy  smile, 

Thy  lips  and  eyes  and  hair. 

What  could  the  wandering  stranger  do 

To  break  thy  fairy  spell, 

But  pray  the  gods  to  blind  him  while 

He  kissed  thee  in  farewell. 

Pearl  of  the  radiant  Inland  Sea, 


434  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY 

Queen  of  a  wanderer's  heart, 

From  the  lure  of  thy  magic  set  me  free, 

Free  from  thy  side  to  part. 

The  spell  in  thine  eyes  hath  sealed  for  aye, 

All  that  my  tongue  would  tell, 

Fairest  of  fortune  bless  thy  way, 

Light  of  my  life  farewell ! 

Rose  of  my  fancy's  garden  fair; 
The  bud  but  foretells, 
The  flower  that  excels, 
Almond-eyed  maid  of  beauty  rare, 
Fondest  of  fond  farewells. 

SHIMONESEKI,  SEPTEMBER  1,  1907.  * '  In  the  Plague 
Stricken  City."  Could  hardly  sleep  last  night,  so  went 
to  a  Jap  doctor  named  Kobiashi  -  there  are  as  many  of 
these  in  Japan  as  Smiths  and  Joneses  at  home  -  as  I  didn't 
like  to  open  the  abscess  myself  with  all  this  cholera  in 
the  air.  He  operated  after  looking  very  serious,  and 
wanted  me  to  wait  over  until  tomorrow  in  order  to  have 
it  re-dressed.  This  morning  I  read  my  welcome  letters, 
and  answered  the  urgent  ones  in  regard  to  mail,  luggage, 
forwarding  agents,  etc.,  and  one  from  my  boy  Hamada. 
In  the  afternoon  I  went  all  through  the  harbor  shipping, 
which  is  very  large,  and  almost  entirely  native.  I 
couldn't  tell  what  the  steamers  carried,  but  the  sampans 
and  Chinese  junks  crowding  the  slips,  were  loaded  with 
coal,  coke,  vegetables,  and  bags  of  rice.  This  port, 
though  very  busy,  is  still  un-Europeanized,  in  pleasant 
contrast  to  Yokohama  and  Kobe.  About  four  o'clock  my 
feet  having  somewhat  recovered  from  the  tattered  con- 
dition in  which  the  walking  trips  and  Jiu  Jitsu  had  left 
them,  I  walked  out  to  Odo,  about  two  miles.  This  is  the 
extreme  point  of  the  harbor,  and  there  was  a  magnificent 
tide-rip  going  out.  I  fell  in  with  a  pleasant  Jap  on  the 
way,  who  spoke  a  little  English.  He  gave  me  a  very 
learned  disquisition  on  the  Japanese  prostitute  question, 


SEOUL  437 


which  is  a  government  institution,  and  very  lucrative. 
We  stopped  for  dinner  at  a  very  pretentious  tea  house, 
which  the  Marquis  Ito  is  supposed  to  be  rather  partial 
to,  and  where  we  were  entertained  by  some  very  sweet 
singing  geishas.  While  we  were  still  there,  the  fishing 
boats  which  had  gone  out  with  the  tide,  came  in  across 
the  China  Sea  and  made  the  harbor  very  pretty  with  their 
dancing  lights.  This  is  a  very  popular  resort  for  sum- 
mer evenings.  Got  back  about  nine,  and  while  strolling 
through  the  town,  found  several  small  temples  connected 
with  a  sort  of  cloistered  walk,  and  gracefully  illuminated 
with  paper  lanterns.  Dull  drums  were  being  beaten  by 
the  priesthood,  children  were  frolicking  about  in  the 
courtyard,  while  their  parents  were  making  offerings  and 
praying  within,  and  it  seemed  that  a  local  festival  *  *  The 
Feast  of  Lanterns  "  was  in  full  swing. 

Ching  a-ling  a-ling  ching 

Feast  of  Lanterns, 

What  a  lot  of  chop  sticks 

Fans  and  gongs. 

Four  and  twenty  thousand 

Crinken-crankerns, 

All  among  the  bells 

And  their  ding  dongs. 

I  have  been  careful  to  drink  no  water  here,  as  there 
is  an  epidemic  of  cholera  in  both  Shimoneseki  and  Modji. 
Went  out  to  my  steamer  on  a  launch,  and  got  under  way 
about  eleven.  Many  large  rats  and  cockroaches  in  evi- 
dence, otherwise  a  good  enough  boat.  The  harbor  looked 
very  pretty  with  the  lights  of  Modji  on  one  side,  and 
Shimoneseki  on  the  other.  It  had  been  misty  all  day, 
but  cleared  off  towards  midnight,  and  some  stars  came 
faintly  out. 

SEOUL,  SEPTEMBER  2.  Couldn't  sleep  much  last  night 
on  account  of  my  abscess,  and  so  was  aware  of  a  consider- 
able storm  which  we  ran  into.  I  was,  in  fact,  almost 


438  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

rolled  from  my  bunk.  My  bath  this  morning,  what  with 
the  ship's  pitching,  my  bandages  and  sore  feet,  was  a 
rather  spasmodic  affair.  Continued  my  acquaintance  at 
breakfast  with  a  Jap  merchant  who  intends  to  settle  in 
Korea,  and  with  whom  I  had  broached  a  bottle  of  beer 
last  night.  This  is  the  fifth  consecutive  day  of  cloud 
and  rain. 

Landed  from  the  roadstead  at  Fusan  (again  by  launch) 
about  nine- thirty.  The  Koreans  are  quite  different  from 
both  the  Japanese  and  Chinese,  though  they  have  many  of 
the  characteristics  of  each.  They  are  larger  and  look 
stronger  than  the  Japanese,  but  far  less  intelligent- 
stupid  and  sheeplike.  The  coolies  wear  trousers  of  a 
thin  texture  and  white  or  tan  color,  cut  like  the  French 
garments  of  the  Latin  Quarter,  instead  of  the  dark  tight- 
fitting  Japanese  tights.  They  are  not  so  neat  in  appear- 
ance, either,  having  all  sorts  of  things  tied  around  their 
waists  under  their  short  upper  garments  -  pipes,  tobacco 
pouches,  snuff  bottles,  and  bags  to  hold  I-know-not-what 
toilet  articles.  Gentlemen  of  the  better  class  affect  tiny 
stovepipe  hats  made  of  bamboo  and  horsehair,  when  they 
are  the  real  thing,  and  of  wicker  if  they  can't  afford  the 
other,  which  are  protected  by  a  conical  shaped  covering 
of  oiled  paper  in  the  rain.  They  are  tied  under  the  chin 
by  a  long  cord  of  silk,  at  the  end  of  which  are  often  strung 
some  amber  beads.  They  have  the  same  baggy  trousers, 
shoes  very  like  the  Chinese,  and  a  long  loose  white  robe 
tied  with  strings,  instead  of  buttons.  One  or  two  young 
bloods  flaunt  delicate  shades  of  pink,  blue,  or  green,  in- 
stead of  white,  and  they  all  looked  rather  woebegone  and 
bedraggled  in  the  rain  and  mud.  The  town  is  very  dirty 
and  full  of  Japanese  soldiers.  I  got  a  train  for  Seoul 
at  eleven.  The  country  was  most  interesting,  the  train 
winding  slowly  up  all  day  over  higher  and  higher  passes, 
and  through  hills  mostly  bare  of  vegetation.  To  me  a 
landscape  is  not  unpleasant  in  the  rain -it  may  look  less 
inviting  but  has  a  charm  of  its  own  which  bright  weather 


one]  SEOUL  439 

does  not  give.  The  Korean  peasant  huts  are  very  squa- 
lid, low,  built  mostly  of  stone  and  mud,  and  straw- 
thatched.  All  the  houses  of  one  community  are  con- 
nected by  a  thin  uncemented  wall  of  boulders,  shoulder 
high,  forming  the  back  of  most  of  the  houses.  Several 
such  compounds  go  to  make  up  a  village.  There  were 
many  soldiers  on  our  train  and  my  car  was  half  full  of 
officers.  One  dashing  young  aid-de-camp  suggested  Rup- 
ert of  Hentzau.  There  were  soldiers  too  at  nearly  every 
station,  as  there  has  been  almost  daily  fighting  along  the 
line  of  late.  One  station  at  which  we  stopped  had  been 
burned  yesterday  by  Korean  insurgents,  and  a  battle  had 
taken  place  at  which  several  hundred  were  killed.  Al- 
though the  Korean  gentlemen  -  the  white-robbed  plug 
hatters -are  stupid  and  don't  seem  to  know  what  to  do 
with  themselves  at  a  railway  station,  they  are  placid  and 
harmless,  and  I  don't  like  the  way  the  Japs  bully  them. 
I  noticed  one  Japanese  coolie  kicking  one  poor  old  man 
who  had  dropped  his  bundles  and  ticket.  Although  I 
have  been  having  a  delightful  six  weeks  in  Japan,  and  am 
very  fond  of  the  land  and  the  people,  particularly  those 
one  finds  in  the  country  who  have  not  got  the  veneer  of 
foreign  civilization,  I  am  not  going  to  be  prejudiced  in 
their  favor  here  in  Korea.  I  want  to  approach  the  ques- 
tion of  their  attitude  here,  and  policies  for  Korea's  fu- 
ture, in  an  unbiased  and  fairminded  way.  As  more  and 
more  details  of  their  war  with  Russia  have  come  out,  they 
do  not  seem  to  be  such  a  wonderful  race  of  beings  as  the 
papers  would  have  had  us  believe.  The  remarkable  vic- 
tories seemed  to  be  due  more  to  Russian  blunders  than 
Japanese  skill,  tales  of  cruelty  and  brutality  are  crop- 
ping up  to  mar  the  wonderful  record  of  stainless  sympa- 
thy and  generosity  to  their  foes,  and  their  national  in- 
tegrity and  honor  in  recent  dealings  with  Korea  has  been 
questioned.  However,  we  shall  see  what  we  shall  see. 

Got  to  Seoul  at  nine-thirty,  and  almost  immediately 
received  a  call  in  my  tiny  mud-floored  room,  at  the  disap- 


440  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

pointing  Astor  Hotel,  from  a  Korean  gentleman.  He 
poured  fourth  the  wrongs  of  Korea  and  his  hatred  for 
Japan,  in  a  tirade  which  would  have  been  amusing  had 
he  not  been  so  much  in  earnest.  I  am  jotting  down  what 
I  remember  "of  it  before  going  to  bed  as  there  may  be 
kernels  of  truth  in  the  chaff:  No  one  likes  the  Japanese 
he  says,  and  more  than  thirty  thousand  Europeans  have 
told  him  so  in  the  course  of  conversations  which  he  has 
held  with  them.  America  is  about  to  go  to  war  with 
Japan,  because  she  can  no  longer  tolerate  Japan's  treat- 
ment of  Korea.  He  eagerly  questioned  me  as  to  the  ex- 
pected date  for  the  arrival  of  our  first  army,  and  wept 
bitterly  on  my  shoulder  when  I  said  there  would  be  no 
war.  All  Korea  and  China,  he  says,  have  been  waiting 
breathlessly  for  it,  as  their  great  chance  to  crush  Japan. 
"  How  about  the  war?  "  comes  in  the  same  breath  with 
* '  Good  morning  ' '  all  over  the  land.  He  told  me  with  glee 
that  they  had  already  killed  three  of  the  twelve  unpop- 
ular ministers  imposed  upon  them  by  the  Japanese  rob- 
bers, and  expected  to  finish  the  job  shortly.  I  took  his 
little  hand  in  mine,  at  this,  and  tried  to  convince  him 
that  this  was  a  wrong-headed  method,  as  they  could  ex- 
pect no  European  power  to  countenance  and  aid  them. 
I  shall  be  interested  to  know  if  this  is  an  universal  at- 
titude in  Korea.  The  land  is  evidently  big  with  pressing 
problems,  torn  with  guerilla  warfare,  and  on  the  eve  of 
change.  Bight  or  wrong  the  Japanese  have  succeeded 
in  waking  up  the  Hermit  Kingdom  as  they  have  never 
been  wakened  before.  They  take  an  interest  in  and  talk 
about  present  day  affairs  instead  of  the  doings  of  their 
ancestors  thousands  of  years  ago,  for  if  ever  there  was  a 
country  and  people  who  lived  in  its  past,  it  was  Chosen, 
the  Land  of  the  Morning  Calm. 

SEOUL,  SEPTEMBER  3.  After  breakfast  I  went  up  to  the 
American  Hospital  and  found  that  it  had  been  estab- 
lished by  Mr.  L.  H.  Severance  of  Cleveland,  who  is  in  Ko- 


one]  SEOUL  441 

rea,  and  expected  back  from  up-country  shortly.  Dr. 
Hurst  fixed  me  up  and  gave  me  some  more  medicine.  He 
also  told  me  something  about  the  country  and  the  recent 
trouble,  from  his  point  of  view,  saying  that  he  had  yes- 
terday doctored  up  a  man  shot  by  the  Japanese  while 
attempting  to  save  his  house,  one  of  some  six  hundred  in 
an  up-country  village,  which  the  Japanese  had  burned. 
His  idea  is  that  the  Japs  are  making  trouble  here  and 
stirring  up  popular  feeling  against  their  own  regime,  in 
order  to  justify  the  maintenance  of  the  standing  army, 
through  whose  medium  they  will  eventually  make  Korea 
part  and  parcel  of  the  Japanese  Empire,  and  secure  so 
strong  a  foothold  in  Manchuria,  where  they  are  also 
using  the  strong  hand,  that  Russia  will  never  be  able  to 
oust  them.  I  also  looked  in  on  a  Harvard  chap  out  here 
in  the  mining  business,  who  is  just  getting  over  a  bad 
"go"  of  typhoid.  I  then  paid  a  very  pleasant  call 
on  Mr.  Sammons,  our  consul  general,  who  offered  to  pro- 
cure passes  for  me  to  the  palaces.  Our  consulate-gen- 
eral is  prettily  situated  in  its  own  garden,  and  next  to 
the  small  modern  house  where  the  emperor  is  now  con- 
fined by  the  Japanese  soldiers.  We  saw  him  walking  up 
and  down  the  porch,  like  a  caged  beast,  trying  to  get  a 
little  air.  His  cunning  old  father,  seeing  no  way  out  of 
the  difficulty  into  which  his  country  had  fallen,  resigned 
in  favor  of  this  young  man,  who,  though  intensely  pa- 
triotic, is  not  strong  minded  and  capable  enough  to  deal 
with  the  situation.  Mr.  Sammons  gave  me  a  most  inter- 
esting talk  on  the  past  and  present  history  of  the  coun- 
try, and  a  practical  view  of  the  situation  from  the  stand- 
point of  a  diplomat -as  our  post  here,  until  quite 
recently,  when  Marquis  Ito  took  over  the  country,  has 
been  an  embassy.  As  the  representative  of  a  foreign 
power,  and  one  to  whom  the  Koreans  owe  almost  all  that 
has  been  done  towards  the  development  of  their  coun- 
try, and  of  whom  the  Japanese  are  very  jealous,  he  is 
placed  in  a  rather  delicate  situation,  and  has  to  be  very 


442  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

cautious.  The  Japanese  are  unquestionably  causing  a 
great  deal  of  trouble  and  ill  feeling,  he  says,  but  it  is  not 
entirely  unavoidable.  Take,  for  example,  our  experience 
in  the  Philippines,  where  with  the  best  of  intentions  we 
had  to  bring  a  long  war  to  a  successful  close  before  we 
established  peace  in  the  country,  and  won  the  good  will 
and  respect  of  the  people.  A  large  measure  of  the  pres- 
ent unrest  is  certainly  due  to  the  stubborn  attitude  of  the 
Hermit  nation,  though  who  is  the  most  to  blame  is  hard 
to  say.  Of  Japan's  ultimate  desires,  there  can  be  little 
question.  Korea  is  rich  and  close  to  her  shores,  and 
would  be  a  valuable  asset  to  any  nation.  If  the  war  had 
not  been  such  a  drain,  Japan  would  undoubtedly  step 
boldly  forward  and  annex  Korea  at  once.  It  would  sim- 
ply be  the  climax  of  a  long  studied  policy  begun  even  be- 
fore the  murder  of  the  queen  in  1895.  Mr.  Sammons 
was  in  Manchuria  during  the  Russo-Japanese  war,  and 
showed  me  several  interesting  relics  he  had  picked  up. 
The  consulate-general  is  within  five  hundred  yards  of  the 
scene  of  the  battle  between  the  Japanese  and  Korean 
troops  which  took  place  here  last  month  on  the  occasion 
of  the  forcible  disbandment  of  the  Korean  army.  He 
showed  me  several  mush-room  bullets  which  had  entered 
the  house,  and  a  large  limb  cut  off  one  of  his  trees. 
His  house  and  grounds  are  very  pleasant.  He  asked  me 
about  my  plans,  and  told  me  something  of  how  I  could  go 
overland  to  Mukden  in  four  days,  and  from  there  in  four 
more  to  Peking.  He  himself  knew  nothing  of  this  route, 
and  no  one  who  had  ever  gone  across  since  the  war  had 
ever  come  back  or  written  him  about  it.  The  whole  coun- 
try is  supposed  to  be  in  a  very  rough,  unsettled,  and 
Warlike  condition -Mukden  and  other  towns  in  Man- 
churia being  the  scene  of  almost  daily  fights  between  the 
Japanese  and  Chinese.  He  asked  me  to  write  him  about 
the  accommodations,  conditions  of  travel,  and  state  of  the 
country  if  I  got  through  all  right. 

I  asked  him  if  it  was  true  that  the  present  young  em- 


SEOUL  443 


peror  was  merely  a  puppet  in  the  hands  of  the  Japanese 
party,  with  very  little  power  or  dignity  left,  and  he  said, 
"  Oh  yes,"  and  showed  me  the  mean  little  house  next  to 
our  consulate  in  which  the  emperor  is  practically  con- 
fined. He  added  that  the  emperor  had  just  had  his 
little  stumpy  Korean  queue  cut  off  by  special  orders  yes- 
terday from  the  Japanese  police.  This  is  their  way  of 
bringing  about  reforms.  They  attack  an  old  custom  like 
this,  which  is  inbred  into  the  life  of  the  people,  and  at- 
tempt to  remove  it  with  a  stroke  of  the  pen.  The  tying 
up  of  the  hair  into  a  topknot  in  Korea  is  equivalent  to  the 
coming  of  age  of  a  boy.  When  he  has  the  right  to  wear 
this  queue,  it  means  that  he  has  become  a  man.  Instead, 
therefore,  of  waiting  until  modern  ideas  have  gotten  a 
sufficient  hold  upon  the  country  to  abolish  this  and  other 
old  fashioned  absurdities,  naturally  and  easily,  the  Jap- 
anese attempt  to  do  it  harshly  and  all  at  once,  and  stir 
up  great  opposition  and  hatred  amongst  every  class  in 
Korea,  who  regard  it  as  an  insult  and  a  degradation  to 
their  national  honor. 

I  was  struck  by  the  number  of  Japanese  soldiers  about, 
especially  at  the  gates  of  the  old  city,  and  at  all  public 
buildings.  The  city  is  dirty,  low,  squalid  and  rambling  ex- 
cept where  two  new  broad  streets  bisect  it.  There  is  a  very 
large  and  dominant  Japanese  population,  and  also  many 
Chinese.  I  haven't  seen  a  single  Russian.  Since  the 
days  of  the  Russian  regime  here,  which  practically  com- 
menced in  1895,  when  the  emperor  escaped  from  the 
palace,  where  he  had  been  confined  after  the  murder  of 
the  queen,  to  M.  Waeber's  (the  Russian  minister),  Rus- 
sian influence  has  been  steadily  on  the  increase,  and 
Russians  and  Russian  policies  were  everywhere  appar- 
ent in  Seoul.  But  the  recent  war  has  ended  all  this, 
and  Russia  has  had  to  take  a  back  seat.  It  has  been  an 
interesting  game  which  the  three  great  powers,  Russia, 
China,  and  Japan,  have  been  playing  over  little  Korea, 
with  an  occasional  move  from  France,  England,  or  Ger- 


444  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

many.  For  a  long  time  China  had  things  all  her  own 
way.  Korea  regarded  her  as  the  great  mother  kingdom, 
and  felt  honored  by  the  connection.  Every  year  a  dele- 
gation bearing  tribute  went  from  Seoul  to  Peking,  and 
the  tie  of  sympathy  and  interest  between  the  two  countries 
was  further  strengthened  by  the  marriage  of  the  em- 
peror of  Korea  with  a  descendant  of  the  old  Ming  dynas- 
ty. This  lady,  insignificant  looking  but  shrewd  and 
strong-minded,  intensely  patriotic  and  ambitious  for  the 
welfare  of  the  throne,  was  destined  to  play  an  important 
and  dramatic  part  in  the  history  of  her  adopted  country. 
From  about  1860,  the  presence  of  foreigners  in  Korea  had 
been  gradually  becoming  more  and  more  frequent.  Oc- 
casional shipwrecks  had  left  sailors  there,  who  were  sent 
to  Peking  in  safe  custody,  but  not  allowed  to  remain  in 
Korea.  They  brought  back  tales  of  the  wealth  of  Korea, 
and  the  weakness  of  the  government.  Several  expedi- 
tions, American  and  Japanese,  were  fitted  out  by  ad- 
venturers at  Shang-hai.  None  were  successful,  but  one 
party  of  Americans  on  the  General  Sherman  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  Preston,  were  all  butchered,  which  led 
to  the  demand  for  satisfaction  from  the  United  States 
government,  and  the  ultimate  signing  of  a  treaty.  This 
paved  the  way  for  treaties  with  Japan,  England,  France, 
Russia,  and  Germany ;  and  foreigners  and  foreign  inven- 
tions gradually  found  their  way  into  the  Hermit  King- 
dom. Young  Koreans  were  sent  abroad  to  study  western 
civilization  and  methods.  An  energetic  reform  party 
grew  up,  which,  meeting  with  strong  opposition  from 
the  conservative  court  party,  threw  itself  into  the 
arms  of  the  Japanese.  A  premature  uprising  fostered 
by  the  regent,  Tai  Won  Kun,  and  the  Japanese,  was 
put  down,  and  Japan  again  lost  prestige.  At  this  time 
Japan  and  China  agreed  to  do  nothing  in  Korea  with- 
out mutual  consultation.  Another  uprising  of  the  Tong- 
haks  in  1894,  again  brought  on  International  friction,  and 
Japan  again  had  to  back  down.  The  queen  became  the 


SEOUL  445 


most  powerful  figure  in  the  country,  equally  opposed  to 
the  Japanese,  to  the  young  reformers,  and  to  the  old  con- 
servative court  party,  headed  by  her  weak-minded  spouse. 
She  was  for  close  alliance  with  China,  and  a  gradual 
awakening  and  development  of  her  country.  The  Tai 
Won  Kun,  as  well  as  the  Japanese,  felt  that  only  this  one 
weak  woman  stood  between  them  and  their  desires.  Her 
murder  was  therefore  deliberately  planned,  documents 
giving  all  details  being  drawn  up.  I  quote  from  a  Jap- 
anese official  report  of  the  time,  referring  to  a  meeting 
held  by  the  principal  Japanese,  at  which  this  document 
was  drawn  up,  and  which  later  received  the  signature  of 
the  regent : 

It  was  further  resolved  that  this  opportunity  should  be 
availed  of  for  taking  the  life  of  the  queen,  who  exercised  over- 
whelming influence  in  the  court. 

About  four  hundred  brave  men,  Japanese  police,  row- 
dies, and  gentlemen  armed  with  noble  Samurai  swords, 
together  with  a  few  Koreans,  it  must  be  admitted,  and 
headed  by  the  secretary  of  the  Japanese  legation,  broke 
into  the  palace  at  night  while  Japanese  troops  kept  guard 
outside.  The  few  defenders  were  butchered,  the  queen  and 
some  of  her  ladies  cut  down,  and  the  royal  lady  wrapped, 
while  still  living,  in  matting  soaked  in  kerosene,  was 
burned  in  the  palace  grounds.  The  emperor,  who  re- 
fused to  repudiate  his  wife  and  sanction  this  deed,  was 
kept  in  confinement,  the  Tai  Won  Kun  put  in  power,  and 
a  false  story  of  the  emeute  of  July,  1895,  given  to  the 
world.  Later,  however,  the  emperor  escaped  to  the  Rus- 
sian legation,  a  Nationalistic  Party  was  built  up  around 
him,  the  true  facts  published  to  the  world,  and  the  Japan- 
ese driven  out. 

Many  amusing  and  malicious  stories  of  the  "dining- 
room  cabinet ' '  of  this  period  might  be  told.  China  re- 
gained all  her  old  influence,  and  Russia,  backed  by  the 
predominance  of  the  trans-Siberian  railroad,  came  rapid- 
ly to  the  fore.  Japan  gathered  strength,  and  bided  her 


446  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

time.  The  China-Japanese  War,  which  had  shortly  pre- 
ceded this  murder,  made  the  Japanese  feel  that  their  only 
real  foe  was  Russia,  and  accordingly  as  the  Liao-tung 
Peninsula  became  russianized,  and  her  influence  predomi- 
nant in  Manchuria  and  northern  Korea,  Japan,  feeling 
herself  ready  at  last,  decided  to  force  matters.  Korea, 
in  spite  of  all  that  she  had  done  during  the  last  twenty 
years,  was  not  worth  taking  into  account  as  a  factor  in  the 
struggle.  Her  navy,  for  instance,  had  one  worthless 
ship,  and  I  believe  thirty-nine  admirals.  The  result  of 
the  war  was  what  no  one  but  Japan  had  foreseen.  Russia 
had  to  withdraw,  not  only  from  Korea,  but  from  Man- 
churia as  well.  Unlimited  possibilities  were  opened  to 
the  greed  and  the  desire  for  expansion  of  Japan,  and  she 
took  them. 

Under  the  plea  of  an  unsettled  state  of  affairs,  mili- 
tary occupation  is  kept  up  in  both  Korea  and  Manchuria. 
Foreign  settlers  and  traders  are  kept  out  under  the  plea 
that  the  Japs  themselves  are  not  going  in  yet,  as  the  coun- 
try is  unsafe.  Gradually  the  hand  of  Japan  is  becoming 
heavier  and  heavier.  In  a  thousand  ways,  trivial  as  well 
as  important,  the  Japanese  are  irritating  the  Koreans, 
justifying  the  enforcement  of  martial  law.  Japanese 
time  is  used  throughout  the  land,  Japanese  names  for  all 
towns  and  geographical  places,  an  edict  for  the  removal 
of  the  topknot,  and  last,  and  most  despotic,  the  disband- 
ment  of  the  Korean  army.  Thousands  of  Japanese  cool- 
ies, traders,  and  colonists  are  pouring  into  the  land,  and 
many  are  also  being  quietly  smuggled  over  the  border 
into  Manchuria.  These  coolies  are  poor,  uneducated, 
strong,  and  with  the  inherited  brutal  traditions  of  gen- 
erations of  their  ancestors,  who  looked  upon  force  and 
strength  as  supreme  right.  They  have  gone,  and  are  go- 
ing through  the  country  like  a  plague.  If  they  wanted  a 
thing,  they  took  it ;  if  they  fancied  a  house,  they  turned 
the  resident  out.  They  beat,  they  outraged,  they  mur- 
dered, in  a  way  and  on  a  scale  of  which  it  is  difficult  for 


one]  SEOUL  447 

any  white  man  to  speak  with  moderation.  Men  were 
flogged  to  death  for  offences  that  scarcely  demanded  a 
fine,  and  were  shot  for  mere  awkwardness.  People  were 
dispossessed  of  their  homes  by  every  method  of  force  and 
guile.  No  satisfaction  could  be  obtained  from  the  Jap- 
anese residents  and  officials.  In  Japan  itself,  opium 
smoking  is  prohibited,  yet  one  thing  which  surprised  the 
foreign  residents  of  Korea  as  much  as  anything  else,  was 
the  way  in  which  Japanese  traders  went  through  the  land 
selling  morphia  and  encouraging  the  use  of  the  drug 
among  the  natives.  The  Japanese  had  apparently  set 
themselves  without  disguise  to  the  seizing  of  as  much  of 
Korea  as  possible.  Hundreds  of  thousands  of  acres  of  the 
richest  timber  and  mineral  lands  were  seized  under  the 
flimsy  excuse  of  military  necessity.  The  Korea  of  today 
is  in  as  wretched  and  hopeless  a  condition  as  can  be  im- 
agined. The  emperor  resigned  about  a  year  ago  to  his 
imbecile  son,  after  having  been  forced,  practically  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet,  to  sign  a  document  asking  for  Jap- 
anese control. 

In  addition  to  this  political  side,  which  is  absolutely 
enthralling  in  its  interest,  I  find  that  what  remains  of  the 
old  life  of  the  country,  is  very  interesting.  The  Korean 
ladies  of  quality  wear  a  long  green  gown,  coming  over 
their  heads  and  around  the  face,  the  sleeves  hanging 
empty.  Just  how  this  custom  started,  no  one  seems  to 
know,  but  the  fact  remains  that  the  sleeves  are  never 
used  until  the  body  is  prepared  for  burial.  Coming  back 
to  the  hotel  about  noon,  I  found  an  English  war  corres- 
pondent named  McKenzie,  who  expects  to  start  on  a  trip 
through  the  country  to  the  south  soon,  hoping  to  see 
something  of  the  fighting  which  is  still  going  on  in  the 
outlying  districts.  A  band  of  Korean  patriots,  known  as 
the  Righteous  Army,  is  still  keeping  the  banner  of  liberty 
in  the  breeze,  hoping  for  foreign  intervention.  He  asked 
me  about  the  fighting  in  the  districts  through  which  I 


448  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  [Vol. 

had  come  yesterday,  and  seemed  surprised  that  I  had  seen 
no  actual  fighting.  All  sorts  of  rumors  are  afloat. 

There  is  a  great  jar  of  pottery  in  one  corner  of  my 
room,  in  which  I  take  a  bath.  In  the  afternoon  my  Kor- 
ean gentleman,  with  a  transparent  plug-hat  of  bamboo 
and  horsehair,  came  around  and  we  went  for  a  walk  to- 
gether. We  visited  the  Temple  of  Heaven,  the  Marble  Pa- 
goda (whose  exquisite  carving  has  largely  been  chipped 
off  by  Japanese  iconoclasts),  and  the  Temple  of  the 
War  God,  dim  and  mysterious,  with  terrible  painted 
wooden  giants,  and  a  strong  aroma  of  incense.  We  also 
wandered  among  the  bazaars  under  the  old  wall,  and  up 
into  the  Japanese  section. 

He  talks  very  good  English,  and  told  me  more  about 
the  life  and  customs  of  the  people  than  I'm  afraid  I 
can  remember.  When  a  man's  father  dies,  for  instance, 
he  must  wear  a  huge  straw  hat,  about  the  size  of  an  um- 
brella, for  three  years,  and  hold  a  fan  in  front  of  his  face 
when  walking  through  the  streets.  I  should  think  he 
would  get  to  hate  the  memory  of  his  parent  when  it 
rained!  Every  morning  during  these  three  years,  food 
is  offered  to  the  little  wooden  tablet  of  his  ancestors,  and 
the  tombs  of  these  ancestors  are  visited  and  worshiped 
on  the  anniversary  of  their  death  and  birth.  All  males 
wear  the  pigtail  till  they  come  to  man's  estate,  when  it 
is  tied  up  on  the  head,  and  can  be  seen  through  the  trans- 
parent hat.  One  of  these  hats,  of  good  make,  with  its 
beaded  chin-string  costs  about  two  hundred  yen.  There 
are  practically  no  native  industries,  and  the  importation 
of  foreign  goods  has  ruined  Korean  trade.  The  staples 
are  rice,  beans,  fish,  and  vegetables.  An  American  Elec- 
tric Company  owns  and  runs  the  tram-line,  and  lights  the 
city.  Seoul  numbers  some  four  hundred  thousand  all 
told,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  of  whom  live 
within  the  walls.  Immorality  and  prostitution  seem  to 
be  on  a  far  smaller  and  less  public  scale  than  in  Ja- 
pan. In  the  evening  I  met  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Angier  of  Lon- 


one]  SEOUL  449 

don.  He  is  the  owner  of  the  Shang-hai  Times  has 
knocked  about  here  for  some  thirty  years,  off  and  on,  and 
gave  me  some  excellent  dope  on  my  Mukden  trip,  which 
promises  to  be  rough  but  interesting.  Mrs.  Angier  was 
most  pleasant  and  asked  me  to  visit  them  at  their  coun- 
try place  at  Surbiton.  I  also  had  a  little  talk  with  Mc- 
Kenzie  about  his  trip,  and  he  has  agreed  to  take  me  along, 
if  he  can  get  away,  which  seems  rather  doubtful,  as  of 
course  the  Japanese  government  don't  want  their  harsh 
measures  known  to  the  world,  and  will  probably  put 
obstacles  in  our  path.  However,  he  says  we  will  go  as 
far  as  we  can,  anyway.  If  this  trip  goes  through,  I 
shall  give  up  the  other,  and  probably  be  late  in  meeting 
Gil  at  Peking,  but  it  promises  considerable  interest,  nov- 
elty, and  some  excitement,  as  there  is  considerable  fight- 
ing going  on  in  the  country  at  present.  I  am  very  anxi- 
ous to  study  this  phase  of  Japanese  colonial  methods,  as 
well  as  the  example  of  their  political  integrity  (?)  at 
first  hand. 

SEOUL,  SEPTEMBER  4.  This  morning  still  cloudy,  al- 
though a  fiery  sunset  last  night  promised  a  good  day. 
I  walked  out  of  the  city  along  the  great  highway  leading 
around  to  China.  After  passing  through  a  couple  of 
dirty  little  hamlets,  where  great  wolfish  looking  dogs 
were  prowling,  I  came  to  the  great  Gate  of  Independence. 
From  here  to  the  top  of  the  Pass,  I  constantly  met  long 
strings  of  oxen  coming  in  from  the  country,  laden  with 
firewood  and  grass.  Others  were  plodding  back,  empty 
backed.  From  the  top  of  the  Pass,  I  climbed  the  great 
rocky  peak  to  the  left,  whence  I  had  a  fine  view  of  the  bar- 
ren mountainous  country  in  all  directions,  the  broad  Han 
River,  winding  down  to  the  sea,  and  the  great  city  itself 
with  its  crenulated  walls  twisting  up  over  the  nearby 
hills.  I  traced  the  great  broad  highway  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  see  toward  Manchuria,  and  eventually  China, 
its  dusty  length  dotted  with  little  moving  figures,  and 


450  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY 

thought  of  what  it  must  have  meant  to  Korea  in  the  old 
days,  with  perhaps  a  fierce  Manchu  tribe  pouring  down 
to  conquer  the  Hermit  Kingdom.  On  the  way  back  I 
noticed  several  old  patriarchs,  with  their  white  beards 
braided  into  little  queues.  The  countryside  seemed  fer- 
tile and  fairly  well  cultivated,  in  spite  of  the  barren  ap- 
pearance of  the  mountains. 

I  found  that  young  Wheeler  Sammons  had  called  while 
I  was  gone,  and  left  word  that  he  would  like  to  go  with 
me  to  the  palaces  this  afternoon,  so  finding,  on  stopping 
at  the  mission,  that  Mr.  Severance  would  not  be  back  till 
evening,  I  looked  in  again  at  the  consulate,  and  after 
some  refreshing  beer  we  set  out.  He  is  a  humorous, 
brisk,  young  newspaper  man,  and  has  knocked  around 
a  good  deal,  turning  his  hand  to  many  things.  He  went 
up  into  the  famine  district  in  China,  got  sick,  and  was 
stuck  there  some  time  in  an  out-of-the-way  village.  He 
got  here  in  time  to  see  all  of  the  street  fighting  in  Seoul, 
of  which  he  later  showed  me  some  very  good  snapshots 
he  had  taken.  He  has  just  finished  an  up-to-date  version 
of  that  little  travelers'  pamphlet  Westward  to  the  Fat- 
East.  The  palaces  are  sad  in  their  old  faded  glory,  and 
are  slowly  and  almost  beautifully  falling  into  dreamy  ruin, 
as  they  have  not  been  used  or  kept  in  repair  since  the 
murder  of  the  queen  in  1895.  The  great  stone  lake  near 
the  summer  house  where  the  queen  was  murdered,  and 
in  the  center  of  which  is  a  pavillion  for  the  dancing  girls, 
was  beautiful  with  lotus.  The  vast  parklike  grounds  of 
the  northeast  palace  are  remarkably  fine,  and  might  be 
made  to  almost  rival  Fontainebleau. 

On  the  way  back  I  stopped  at  a  general  store  and 
bought  some  provisions  and  a  few  necessaries  which  I 
shall  use  either  for  the  trip  with  McKenzie  or  over  to 
Mukden.  There  were  several  pleasant  people  for  tea 
at  the  consulate,  particularly  a  Miss  Cook.  I  went  up 
to  the  mission  for  dinner,  where  I  found,  besides  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Hurst,  Mr.  Severance,  Dr.  Ludlow,  Dr.  and  Mrs. 


SEOUL  453 


Aveson.  Dr.  Aveson  has  been  in  the  country  a  long  time, 
has  done  a  great  deal  of  good,  and  seems  to  be  very  much 
respected  and  liked  by  Koreans.  I  stayed  till  after 
eleven,  chatting  and  looking  at  pictures,  and  drinking 
some  frigid  milk  shakes. 

The  Japanese  are  trying  to  prevent  the  missionaries 
from  holding  meetings  and  the  spreading  of  the  gospel, 
because  they  say  that  the  missionaries  are  exciting  the 
Koreans  to  rebellion.  Although  I  don't  think  this  is 
quite  true,  yet,  Christianity  has  become  mixed  with  poli- 
tics here  in  a  curious,  yet  easily  accountable,  manner. 
The  native  Christians  have  a  great  belief  in  the  power  of 
prayer.  They  are  taught  to  pray  for  help  if  they  are 
sick  or  in  trouble.  They  see  that  at  present  their  coun- 
try is  in  great  distress,  and  pray  for  its  recovery.  What 
is  the  trouble?  The  presence  of  the  hated  foreign  in- 
vader. They  therefore  pray  that  this  trouble  may  be 
removed,  and  at  the  Christian  meetings  and  services,  the 
prayers  for  the  extinction  of  Japanese  control  in  Korea 
are  naturally  not  unmixed  with  discussions  as  to  the  best 
methods  for  bringing  this  about.  Here  at  once  they  are 
getting  into  politics  in  a  way  which  the  Japanese  do  not 
like.  In  modern  times,  there  has  seldom  been  seen  so 
remarkable  a  harvest  of  Christianization  as  has  taken 
place  during  the  last  ten  years  in  Korea.  Converts  have 
been  made  literally  by  the  hundreds  at  a  time,  and  Chris- 
tianity is  getting  a  strong  hold  on  the  people.  It  is  a  very 
promising  field,  as  there  is  nothing  to  combat  against 
but  superstition.  Buddhism  has  never  had  any  consider- 
able place  in  Korea.  In  the  old  days,  the  Korean  gov- 
ernment was  very  severe  on  the  missionaries,  and  mar- 
tyred a  great  many,  mostly  French  Roman  Catholics. 
But  they  were  equally  prohibitory  to  Buddhism  and  all 
other  forms  of  religion.  Their  only  worship  was  a  sort 
of  propitiation  of  local  devils  and  evil  spirits,  which 
were  supposed  to  inhabit  trees,  stones,  snakes,  rivers, 
etc.,  and  the  almost  Confucian  worship  of  ancestors. 


454  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY 

The  Chinese  method  of  securing  good  luck,  or  Fung- 
shui,  is  also  inbred  into  the  daily  life  of  the  Koreans. 
Everything  they  do  is  thoroughly  imbued  with  this  spirit, 
whether  it  be  the  tedious  process  of  selecting  a  site  for 
the  burial  of  their  dead,  the  building  of  a  temple  or  home, 
or  the  mere  washing  of  their  hands,  the  conditions  must 
be  favorable.  This  may  help  to  account  for  the  fact  that 
they  seldom  do  wash -it  certainly  explains  much  of  their 
inherent  opposition  to  railway  and  telegraph  lines  and 
other  innovations.  The  tiger  and  the  dragon  reign  su- 
preme in  the  supernatural  world.  For  instance,  a  grave 
is  chosen,  if  possible,  on  a  mountain  front  having  two 
arm-like  ridges  on  either  hand,  one  called  the  dragon  side 
and  one  the  tiger.  There  should  be  a  mountain  directly 
in  the  foreground  called  the  An-san,  to  stand  as  a  sup- 
port to  the  family  of  the  dead,  otherwise  the  grave  luck 
would  float  down  the  valley,  and  be  dissipated.  There 
must  be  free  exit  for  streams  or  surface  waters.  This  is 
the  grave  site  in  outline.  Then  come  the  special  moun- 
tain peaks  that  are  looked  for  on  either  side  of  the  An- 
san.  One  will  mean  long  life  to  the  family,  another  nu- 
merous posterity,  another  rank,  another  wealth.  Every 
mountain  peak,  to  right  or  left  hand,  has  its  special  mes- 
sage, which  the  geomancer,  who  makes  the  selecting  of 
graves  a  special  study,  holds  in  his  professional  grasp. 

SEOUL,  SEPTEMBER  5.  This  morning  McKenzie  and  I 
spent  making  preparations  for  our  trip.  He  had  had 
some  saddles  shipped  out  from  Shang-hai,  and  we  got 
hold  of  some  ponies  and  a  couple  of  natives  in  addition 
to  his  "boy."  We  provisioned  and  got  some  blankets 
and  a  shelter  tent.  We  were  very  glad  of  his  revolver 
and  my  revolver  and  rifle,  though  of  course  we  neither 
hope  nor  expect  to  have  to  use  them.  We  had  several  in- 
teresting talks  with  residents  about  our  proposed  trip, 
among  them  Mr.  Bethel,  editor  of  the  Korean  Daily 
News.  Pleasant  luncheon  with  him  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


SEOUL  457 


Angler.  In  the  afternoon  more  talk,  and  a  little  more 
sight-seeing.  Saw  a  Korean  dance,  the  dancing  girls 
being  as  pretty  and  more  active  than  the  geishas.  Had 
sort  of  afternoon  tea  at  the  home  of  my  Korean  friend. 
The  home  life  is  simple,  less  cleanly  than  Japan,  and  the 
furniture  and  setting  of  the  house  more  typical  of  China. 
It  is  said  that  at  the  time  of  the  Chino-Japanese  War, 
when  the  Japs  were  everywhere,  and  the  Chinese  in  full 
flight,  the  former  confessed  that  they  were  quite  ready 
for  England,  as  well  as  China,  if  she'd  like  to  take  a  hand. 
A  sage  once  said:  "A  big  man  for  peace,  a  little  man  for 
conceit,  and  a  woman  for  war."  The  Japanese  are  noted 
for  their  women  and  their  little  men. 

Dined  at  the  consulate,  where  I  had  some  more  pleasant 
talk  with  interesting  people  there.  I  'm  afraid  I  was  too 
full  of  the  proposed  trip  to  remember  all  that  I  heard 
about  the  country  and  the  condition  of  its  politics  at  pres- 
ent, but  hope  more  will  come  back  to  me  later.  Every- 
one, even  those  who  profess  to  be  her  well-wishers, 
seemed  rather  to  deprecate  what  they  call  the  unjustifi- 
able attitude  of  Japan,  but  see  no  rosy  outlook  for  Ko- 
rea's future  except  as  a  part  of  the  Japanese  Empire. 
China,  her  natural  ally  and  protector,  is  too  busy  working 
out  her  own  salvation  to  interfere  even  if  she  were  strong 
enough,  and  Russia  would  probably  prove  as  selfish  and 
undesirable  a  friend  as  Japan  has  done.  Both  the  wars 
which  Japan  has  fought  in  Korea  and  Manchuria  and  all 
her  previous  and  present  meddling,  have  been  undertaken 
under  the  pretext  of  establishing  Korea's  independence 
and  liberty.  "  Oh  liberty,  what  crimes  etc." 

On  my  return  to  the  hotel  about  eleven  o'clock,  I  found 
McKenzie  very  down  in  the  mouth.  He  has  been  unable 
to  get  permits  to  go  anywhere  except  to  Chemulpo,  Fusan, 
or  northward,  where  things  are  comparatively  quiet. 
What  he  wants  to  do  is  to  strike  east  and  south  towards 
the  town  of  Chung- ju,  where  most  of  the  fighting,  so  far 
as  one  can  judge,  appears  to  have  been  going  on.  We 


458  EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY 

had  intended  to  strike  for  it  by  an  indirect  route  which 
would  take  four  days,  in  order  to  avoid  the  Japanese  as 
much  as  possible.  Without  passports,  however,  the  first 
Japanese  troops  whom  we  met,  and  who  are  sown  broad- 
cast over  the  land,  would  be  sure  to  march  us  back  to 
Seoul.  His  friends  have  advised  him  to  wait  until  the 
present  fever  heat  has  died  down  a  little,  and  talk  by  the 
foreigners  in  Seoul  assumes  a  less  anti-Japanese  tone, 
and  then  to  sneak  off  unnoticed.3  I,  however,  can  not  wait 
so  long,  and  have  decided  to  start  for  Mukden  tomorrow 
morning.  It's  a  ten  hour  ride  to  Phyong-yang,  the  ancient 
capital  of  Korea,  where  I  shall  spend  the  first  night. 


s  Subsequent  note.  About  six  weeks  after  I  left,  Mr.  McKenzie  got  away 
by  adopting  the  following  clever  ruse.  A  cablegram  was  received  by  him 
from  London  ' '  Proceed  forthwith  Siberia. ' '  The  expedition  was  apparently 
abandoned,  and  he  made  the  hotel  ring  with  public  and  private  complaints 
about  the  interference  with  his  plans.  He  even  visited  the  shipping  offices 
to  learn  of  the  next  steamer  to  Vladivostok  but  "The  next  morning,  long 
before  dawn,  the  ponies  came  back,  the  boys  assembled,  the  saddles  were 
quickly  fixed,  and  the  packs  adjusted,  and  soon  we  were  riding  as  hard  as 
we  could  for  the  mountains. ' '  He  of  course  sent  word  to  the  acting  British 
consul  general  telling  of  his  departure,  but  the  letter  was  not  delivered  until 
after  he  had  left.  On  his  return  he  found  reply  awaiting  him,  cautioning 
him  against  making  the  trip.  The  book  which  he  afterwards  wrote,  and 
which  he  has  called  The  Tragedy  of  Korea,  is  full  of  meat,  and  very  sug- 
gestive of  thought  about  the  problems  of  the  Far  East.  As  Mr.  McKenzie 
is  an  Englishman,  and  an  ally  of  Japan,  his  book  at  least  should  be  un- 
biased. I  would  like  to  quote  a  few  lines  from  the  introduction  of  this  book : 

"Affairs  have  now  reached  a  stage  when  there  comes  a  question  of  the 
duty  of  the  British  people  in  the  matter.  I,  for  one,  am  convinced  that  we 
owe  it  to  ourselves  and  to  our  ally,  Japan,  to  let  it  be  clearly  known  that  a 
policy  of  Imperial  expansion  based  upon  breaches  of  solemn  treaty  obliga- 
tions to  a  weaker  nation,  and  built  up  by  odious  cruelty,  by  needless  slaugh- 
ter, and  by  a  wholesale  theft  of  the  private  property  rights  of  a  dependent 
and  defenceless  peasantry,  is  repugnant  to  our  instincts  and  cannot  fail  to 
rob  the  nation  that  is  doing  it  of  much  of  that  respect  and  good  will  with 
which  we  all  so  recently  regarded  her." 


L|BRARY  FACILITY 


A     000  028  896     9 


